Seattle’s historic sidewalk newsstand removed over permit issue
Oldest newsstand in downtown Seattle shuts down
"Turco's Last Stand" was removed by the Seattle Department of Transportation over a permit issue.
SEATTLE - A piece of local journalism history has been ripped from the streets of Seattle. A newsstand on 3rd and Pike was a fixture downtown for more than 100 years, but over the weekend, "Turco's Last Stand" was removed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) over a permit issue.
The newsstand sat in front of what is now Ross Dress for Less and, in recent years, the stand actually dealt less with headlines and more with lifelines, providing everything from Narcan to federally funded cell phones.
Ben Gant, former owner of Turco's Last Stand speaks out after the Seattle Department of Transportation removed the business.
Owner Ben Gant said the removal of his stand is devastating, and he's asking for the community's help in getting it back.
"It’s just SDOT using the municipal code unjustly to achieve the result that they wanted," said Ben Gant, owner of Turco's Last Stand, the historic newsstand in downtown Seattle.
The long-standing newsstand operation was ripped from its foundation after Gant says SDOT moved it over the weekend.
"I feel like sneaking in, in the middle of the night, and removing my place of business for 22 years when I’m just trying to help people, is just cruel," said Gant.
The stand was a fixture, dating back to the 1900s when the President of the Newsboys Union, Frank Turco, operated the stand.
"The history of the newsstand is fascinating, articles dating back to 1908 about Frank Turco, all the way up until now," said Gant.
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With no violations, Gant said he was surprised when the Seattle Department of Transportation sent a permit revocation in March 2023.
It reads;
"I am writing to inform you that your permit for a newsstand on the public sidewalk near 1418 3rd Avenue (Permit # SUPSM0000299) is being revoked."
As the owner of the newsstand, you must remove it within 30 days. According to Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 15.04.070.A, any use of public property is temporary and does not give you permanent rights."
"They are simply revoking it, they didn’t give any explanation as to why," said Gant.
He appealed that decision, but in February 2024, he received notification that the stand was scheduled for removal after March 3, 2024. However, he says an exact date wasn't given.
"Going up against fentanyl and the suffering on the streets is hard enough, but when the city is fighting me, and it seems like they are trying to break me, they want the newsstand gone, but they have just trampled my rights to due process," said Gant.
Gant says he filed court paperwork on March 1 to stop the process, but he says a judge didn't hear the case in time. Gant blamed the delay on the implementation of a new computer program, or new software, in the court system. He also said there were hold-ups due to a situation involving the Seattle City Attorney's Office that FOX 13 reported on last week, in which city attorneys have been refusing to have cases heard by Judge Pooja Vaddadi, causing delays.
"Judge Pooja, and the city refusing to allow her to do criminal cases, just has the system all backed up. It’s a mess," said Gant.
He says in addition to running a business out of the stand, he also gave away an estimated 3,100 doses of Narcan at the stand and estimates he helped resuscitate 33 people.
He started an online fundraiser to try to get his newsstand back.
"I’m not giving up on finding a home for it. Without public support, I can't take on the city and all the problems that come with 3rd and Pike. I need people to make it known if they think this is something worth preserving," said Gant.
He says he has 60 days to claim the newsstand. He says it's a 2,500 lb structure, so it will take some coordination to get it back. He says he also hasn't been told where it is being stored.
In a statement to FOX 13, SDOT said:
"SDOT has revoked the permit for the newsstand located at the corner of 3rd Ave and Pike St in downtown Seattle (Street Use permit # SUPSM0000299) because the permit holder is out of compliance with the terms of the permit and we’ve deemed it to be in an unsuitable location for a structure that continues to be in disrepair.
Seattle Municipal Code (SMC 15.04.070) says that an SDOT Street Use permit is required to conduct business or maintain a structure on a public sidewalk, and that all Street Use permits are temporary and revocable. SDOT has determined that this is not an appropriate use to continue at this location.
We notified the newsstand owner of our decision in early February and informed them that they could either remove the structure by March 3, or the City would remove the structure and store it at an offsite location for 60 days for them to retrieve (see SMC 15.38 for more details about this process)."