Broadway's Hollywood Video shuts down in a hurry - UPDATE

Broadway retail had another hole poked in the middle of it tonight as, under the cover of darkness, employees scrambled to gut the Hollywood Video next to Dick's Burgers and directly across the street from the empty lot where Sound Transit's light rail station construction is soon to begin.

A sign on the door said the location is permanently closing and directed customers to the next closest Hollywood Video in Magnolia. Despite the sign, a customer tried the locked door before dropping his movie in the return slot. He said he had just joined Hollywood's monthly movie plan.

UPDATE: Adding some information about the building itself, the $2.8 million, three-story brick building was built in 1929 and is owned by Ron and Edel Amundson, according to King County records. It is also home to online provider of phonics-based spelling lessons, Headsprout and a company called Antique Cycle Northwest. From the Department of Neighborhoods:

Historic Name:      Del-Teet Furniture      Common Name:      Hollywood Video

Style:     Commercial     Neighborhood:     Capitol Hill

Built By:     Frederick Anhalt     Year Built:     1929

Significance

In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.

This building was constructed in 1929 as the Del-Teet Furniture Store. Cyrus Teeter, who had a Denver store with a Dr. Delaney, identified this location as one of the busiest in Seattle and thus suitable for his second store. In the 1950s the store gained renown as the first to introduce modern furniture to go with new post-war housing styles. This was the first of several major furniture stores that opened on Broadway, earning it the name Furniture Row during the 1950s-60s. Del-Teet remained open at this location in to the 1990s. The building was designed by Frederick Anhalt, who was best known as a developer of French Norman and Tudor-inspired apartment buildings, particularly on Capitol Hill. His influence is evident in the arched windows on all three floors. Although Anhalt built several one-story neighborhood commercial buildings, this is his only building of this type--a three-story freestanding commercial structure.

Appearance

This three-story red brick building has a stepped parapet and arched windows on all three floors, including the street-level display windows. The storefront has a high degree of integrity, with wood-and-glass doors. The second floor projects over the first floor, supported by six square wood columns. Although the upper floor windows have a modern look, they are original. The building's only ornament is brick sills and arches around the windows and simple decorative brick insets below the cornice line.

The Broadway Hollywood Video is was one of ten locations still operating in Seattle for the troubled chain operated by Oregon-based Movie Gallery, Inc. The company has faced mounting pressure as industry leader Blockbuster has cut prices and invested in the online space to try to keep pace with services like Netflix. On Monday, Movie Gallery announced it was releasing its new iPhone app, DidjaC. The Blockbuster just down Broadway near Pine remains. The indie Broadway Video also continues to offer brick and mortar rentals in the area as do On 15th Video and Video Connection in other parts of the Hill.

On the corporate chain watch, another Pacific Northwest corporation shut down its Capitol Hill outlet this week with the closure of Taco Time on Madison. Meanwhile, Starbucks opens its latest new-concept cafe with Roy Street Coffee and Tea serving its first cups Wednesday morning at 6 AM.

Update: We've left calls for everybody involved with Hollywood and Movie Gallery that we can find on the Internet. Will update when and if we hear back.