Last man out: Doomed McGuire Apartments now vacant

The last resident has left the beleaguered McGuire Apartments building in Belltown, and now there's talk the building will be demolished.

Hundreds of tenants were forced out of the McGuire Apartments after structural problems were discovered. Since then, scaffolding has become a permanent fixture.

Paul Shank packed up his last boxes Thursday and now holds a very unique and lonely honor.

"I've been the first in an apartment before, not too many people can say they're the last in an apartment," Shank said.

He was the only resident remaining in the 272-unit building.

The move was required after workers chipped away concrete, revealing rusted rebar that the building's owners say is symptomatic of a structural problem throughout the McGuire.

The city has watched the situation closely.

"The building is not going to fall down," said Bryan Stevens with the city planning department. "We're not seeing that but over time there could be issues with the tendons in the structure that hold the concrete together."

Built just nine years ago, the McGuire has been plagued by structural problems since the start.

The owners say they've decided demolition is the best option. The city says implosion is not likely part of the plan, instead the building would be taken down piece by piece.

"In terms of direct costs to the city there wouldn't necessarily be one," Stevens said.

Stevens says the owner would pay the price. But nearby businesses feel they could be paying a price too in lost revenue. Several in the area told KOMO News they are concerned that such a big tear-down project could drive away business.

The owner has to begin getting permit applications to the city by the end of the year. If the owner sticks with demolition, it wouldn't start until March at the earliest. Before that, there would be meetings for the public to comment.