By Louise Jones-Brown
President, Tukwila Historical Society
The Tukwila Historical Society has located a collection of aerial photos in our archives that show the property just east of the current Westfield Southcenter Mall that had been the grazing pastures for a local dairy herd. There was a study of potential sites for development of an industrial area on the West Coast as early as 1958, according to information found in a labor news publication article.
This idea included the consideration for an industrial park where there would be strict control over the architecture. A large section of the Duwamish valley property was selected and eventually annexed into the town of Tukwila. The first buildings are visible in the photos as early as 1963.
A photo dated August 1967 shows nearly 20 businesses including Abbott Laboratories, General Electric and Minnesota Mining and Mfg. There was more development being proposed with the future locations for King County Blood Bank, People’s National Bank (Now U.S. Bank) and Firestone Tire Company.
It has recently come to our attention that one of the buildings in the Andover Industrial Park built in 1969 is soon to be demolished* to make way for new development.
The building was originally an office for State Farm Insurance as well as an office for Andover Commercial Real Estate on the corner of Andover Park West and Baker Boulevard.
The city of Tukwila records indicate the new building will become senior housing and will be the newest neighbor of the soon to be open Hotel Interurban. We are seeing right before our eyes the next era of development from the grazing pastures to high rise buildings.
*Author’s Note: At the time of submission of this article, the building has been demolished.
