Seattle's most infamous parking garage sits atop forgotten landmark
SEATTLE - Occidental Square has been packed with soccer fans throughout the FIFA World Cup, drawing thousands of visitors to one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods. But long before watch parties and fan festivals, the name "Occidental" belonged to a grand hotel that helped define early Seattle.
The Occidental Hotel once stood where the now-infamous Sinking Ship parking garage sits today, a landmark whose rise, destruction and eventual replacement helped shape the future of Pioneer Square.
Seattle's Grand Hotel where the "Sinking Ship" parking garage now sits (Source MOHAI)
FIFA World Cup 2026 brings new appreciation for Pioneer Square
Lisa Howard, executive director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square, said the World Cup has introduced a new generation of visitors to the historic neighborhood.
She believes the tournament has also challenged perceptions of the neighborhood.
Massive crowds leaving Seattle Stadium after the Bosnia and Herzegovina–Qatar match on June 24, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
"I think people have had a chance to rediscover it in a way that they haven't," said Howard, adding that some people who may have avoided Pioneer Square after seeing negative headlines finally had a reason to spend time there.
A hotel gave Occidental Square its name
Today, visitors walking through Occidental Square pass planters, café tables and brick-paved streets. But Howard said the neighborhood nearly met a very different fate.
Pioneer Square fire (Via MOHAI)
"There was a plan in the '60s and '70s to knock everything down and build parking lots," she said.
One reminder of that vision still stands: the Sinking Ship parking garage, built on the former site of the Occidental Hotel.
Occidental Square (Via MOHAI)
The first Occidental Hotel opened in 1865 during Seattle's frontier days. It was later replaced by a larger version advertised as the largest hotel north of San Francisco before it was destroyed in the Great Seattle Fire just four years after opening.
A third version rose from the ashes as the Seattle Hotel. It survived the Klondike Gold Rush, economic downturns and even served as Seattle's public library for a time before it was demolished in 1961 to make way for the parking lot.
A demolition that sparked preservation
Howard believes the loss of the Seattle Hotel became a turning point for Pioneer Square.
"When the garage was taken down, that really spurred the preservation movement," she said. "It's a point in our history that actually saved the neighborhood."
Howard said the demolition galvanized preservationists and helped lay the groundwork for protecting Pioneer Square's historic character.
Occidental Square isn't as old as it looks
Although the neighborhood's name dates to the hotel, Occidental Square itself is newer than many visitors realize.
Occidental Square (Via MOHAI)
"So Occidental Avenue used to be a street," said Howard.
The pedestrian plaza wasn't created until the 1970s, transforming what had been a roadway into a gathering space.
"There's a lot more space for people to wander through the neighborhood," Howard said.
The backstory:
She noted history could have taken several different turns. At one point, plans even called for a Seattle Monorail stop near the current Sinking Ship parking garage.
As thousands continue to fill Occidental Square during the World Cup, Howard hopes visitors leave with a deeper appreciation for the neighborhood's past.
"Pioneer Square has so much soul, and it really needs to be loved and protected by all of Seattle," she said.
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