by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Fri April 6, 2018
Plans to demolish a historic Pike Place Market building and replace it with a towering hotel and retail space took a step forward this week.
Seattle's Design Review Board approved the next phase of the controversial hotel plan Tuesday at Seattle City Hall, according to K5 News.
The unpopular project is progressing despite opposition from at least 14,000 people who signed a petition to stop it.
Marketview Place Associates LLC is seeking permission from the city of Seattle to demolish the market's historic Hahn building, which was constructed in 1897. Located on the corner of 1st Avenue and Pike Street, the three-story building houses Seattle Coffee Works and the Green Tortoise Hostel.
Kirkland-based Marketview Place Associates would like to replace the structure with a 14-story tower that includes retail stores, hotel rooms, and residences.
Save The Market Entrance, a grassroots organization that's seeking to preserve the market, says the proposed tower would not only negatively impact the symmetry of the Pike Place Market, it would also eliminate the affordable accommodations offered by the hostel.
Critics of the plan additionally say it would increase traffic and congestion in the area, as the tower plans do not include parking.
The project has been moved forward to the recommendations phase, according to Save the Market Entrance.
Pike Place Market attracts about 10 million visitors annually.
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