The work of excavators and bulldozers brought down the building fast. Now the question is, how long will it take us to forget what was there?

Sketched Sept. 15, 2015

With so much demolition and construction going on in booming Seattle, I’m afraid I’m becoming numb to all the changes. How should I feel about another old building going away? Will I like whatever replaces it?

At Stewart Street and Eighth Avenue this week, I watched a high-reach excavator tear down some of the last remaining walls of the 1927 downtown bus station, where I spent some time sketching a few of years ago. The entire block is being razed to make room for a 45-story hotel tower that may open as early as 2018. Greyhound, in case you are wondering, now operates from a new base near Safeco Field.

The work of excavators and bulldozers brought down the building fast. Now the question is, how long will it take us to forget what was there? I know I will have to revisit my own sketches to refresh my memory.