Go Fund Murphy’s!

You’re likely not hearing it here first, but this news bears repeating: There’s a very good chance that Wallingford icon, Murphy’s Pub, could soon close.

The property at 45th and Meridian containing Murphy’s, Kostas Opa, Rugs of the World, and the old Fat Cat Records building will soon be put up for sale. A new developer would likely demolish the existing structures and build up to 150 residential units.

Prior to listing the entire property, the owners of Murphy’s came to an agreement with their landlord—they could buy the portion of the property their pub sits on for the low, low price of $3.5 million (roughly the cost of 215,000 house shepherd’s pies). The price is obviously daunting, so Murphy’s co-owner, Chelly Bassett, set up a GoFundMe somewhat cheekily asking for $1 each from 3.5 million fans of Murphy’s. So far the account has raised about $25,000, but making the $3.5 million mark was never really the point—it was more of an awareness campaign.

And it’s worked. The impending sale and likely demolition of the property’s structures has made news in the Puget Sound Business Journal, KIRO-7, KING-5, Irish Star, and the popular Vanishing Seattle Instagram page.

Timing of redevelopment of this central half-block is unknown. With the old Guild Theatre site a block to the east and the old Fainting Goat site a block to the west, it’s hard to imagine three major developments going on concurrently in such a small swath of the neighborhood (and then there’s the future of the now-vacant Bartell’s space, also a block away). But I suppose one needs to look no further than Stone Way to see what’s potentially next for central Wallingford.

If the sale and demolition of the building cannot be curtailed, the ownership at Murphy’s hope to find a new location for the pub. Their preference would be in Wallingford, but pickings are slim, and anything that could accommodate a patio is very unlikely.

Seeing Murphy’s disappear would be a shame and a shock for the neighborhood. The pub first opened in 1981, and claims to be the longest-running existing Irish pub in Seattle. Personally I’ve been eating and drinking there since the mid-90s. It went through a dip in quality in the 2000s, but the current ownership poured tons of time, money, and love into the place when they purchased it in 2015. The menu is solid, the beer list is diverse, music and trivia nights are packed, and it’s a great place to watch a sporting event, whether it be a Seahawks game, a Sounders match, or Ireland in the Rugby World Cup.

Murphy’s is a treasure and a centerpiece. Saving it would be a victory for the neighborhood. I’m not sure how or if “progress” like this can be stopped, but if enough people care, maybe we can do it a dollar at a time. Spread the news.