Blog

The property at 1820 N 45th Street is a highly visible, prominent location within the Wallingford neighborhood. The building was constructed in 1922, and for decades it housed a drugstore. It was Bartell Drug, then for several years, Serve-U Drug, then back to Bartell’s. Rite Aid purchased Bartell Drug in 2020, which was unfortunately followed by the death spiral to bankruptcy filings and abandonment by Rite Aid in 2024. Bartell Drug had sold the building to Gillen Hall Lake East LLC in 2019, with a ten-year lease-back arrangement. Following Bartell’s sale to Rite Aid, Gillen Hall Lake East became the leaseholder, and they were ultimately listed as a creditor in Rite Aid’s bankruptcy filing. The loss of the Bartell Drug store was sorely felt by longtime Wallingforders. Wallyhood has previously published stories about this site:

• Bartell Building Sold (Dec 2019)
• Wallingford’s Bartell Drugs is Closing (Feb 2024)
• Bartells Building Follow-Up! (May 2024)

It had been comforting to have a local, family-owned business serving our community. If you look at the graphics on the utility box in front of QFC on N 45th Street, you can see children walking in the kiddie parade with the Bartell sign in the background.

With this vacancy, a constant battle is waged against graffiti, litter, property destruction, and other illicit activities that are attracted to this vacant site. This has proven to be a thorn in the side for the current owner and the surrounding neighbors, making this property the current neighborhood eyesore.

However, the good news is that development is now in the works for this location. As recently as October 2025, the permitting application process was established for the proposed demolition and master use of the property.

The site plan pictured here was drawn in September 2025 by Tiscareno Architects and shows a seven-story mixed-use building with 38 underground parking spaces. Further inquiry with the City of Seattle located a pre-application filing (005418-25 PA, on October 10, 2025), as well as applications for a master use permit (3043582-LU), construction permit (7113735_CN), and demolition permit (7113736-DM), on October 27th. All permit applications stated that additional information was required. No further information was available regarding these permits—perhaps some of you with insider contacts and sleuthing skills can tell us more.

One other report found online was a complaint to the city from a neighborhood resident. The specific concerns were that the loading dock area was strewn with garbage, including drug paraphernalia, and had evidence of other illicit activity: ladders and pallets being used to gain access to the roof of this building, as well as the QFC building. This complaint is listed as under investigation.

I am sure that Gillen Hall Lake East LLC and their registered agent, Frank Gillen, would like to move forward with this development as soon as possible. Hopefully, they will be as thoughtful to the community as were two other recent additions, the Benton on Burke, on Burke Avenue N, and the Chronicle, on Wallingford Avenue N. Both of these projects used materials and architectural details that help the buildings blend in with the historic sense of place found alongside the Wallingford Center, as well as other historic buildings found in the area. Stay tuned for more to come.