Wednesday evening, crews battled a fire at the former Hillside Motel in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. It’s unclear how it all started. This spot along Aurora Ave. is supposed to be vacant and boarded up. But drug addicts and the homeless are constantly breaking in and squatting on the property. Earlier this month, YouTube influencer Tyler Oliveira (@tyleraloevera) and I went inside to take a closer look at the conditions. We met two fellas who showed us around. They had nudie posters on the walls and drug paraphernalia everywhere. The building ownership group has been trying to get a permit from the city to demolish the property. But the project has been running into red tape and numerous hurdles. Neighbors say outgoing Councilmember Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) was never around to address the crime and other issues plaguing the former motel.
