Demolition has started on the historic Kelly Springfield building in Capitol Hill

Demolition has started on the historic Kelly Springfield building in Capitol Hill, making way for office space that will be tucked behind a landmarked facade.

Probably best known as the old Value Village space, where Macklemore filmed part of his “Thrift Shop” music video, the Kelly Springfield building was also previously the headquarters for outdoors retailer REI. It was constructed in 1917 for the Kelly Springfield Truck and Tire Company.

That Auto Row history and building character played heavily in Kelly Springfield and the adjacent White Motor Company buildings being granted landmark status in 2015.

“We thought that it was important to preserve some elements of the interior as it’s an important part of how you experience the building,” said Ankrom Moisan architect Phillip Bozarth-Dreher prior to the redevelopment project receiving approval from the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board on June 7. “The ceiling of level one and floor of level two will be deconstructed, and put back in place using as many of the original materials as possible. That way the exterior wall will be the same, and when you look inside from the 11th Avenue, you will still see that heavy timber interior.”

Legacy Commercial is adding three stories of office space on top of the original two-story Kelly Springfield Building, and is also constructing a five-story addition in a parking lot to the south on 11th Avenue. A 34-stall parking garage will have a perforated coiling door with a tire tread design that is being completed by the Electric Coffin Company.

Value Village closed in late 2015, and the large interior space was repurposed by Velocity Dance, the Capitol Hill Arts District and One Reel as a temporary art and dance space in early 2016.

Following the end of the V2 art space last December, the Kelly Springfield building fell victim to rampant tagging to its historic facade, with vandals even breaking in to spread graffiti around the interior.

Walter Scott, in charge of brokerage and property management at Legacy Commercial, told the Capitol Hill Times that keeping people out of the building had been a real challenge.

“They’re just being relentless with us. I don’t have an answer for it,” Scott told CHT back in April. “I’ve never experienced people with such disregard, such disrespect for people’s property. The city of Seattle, they’re beside themselves; we can’t really blame them.”

Some graffiti is still visible on the top of the landmarked facade, which is being held in place by large support beams as demolition continues.