The Seattle Mariners have signed a lease for the former Pyramid Alehouse next to T-Mobile Park and plan to resume operations there with Black-owned Métier Brewing while also adding a restaurant and office space.
The Pyramid Brewing Alehouse had been a mainstay for Mariners and Seattle Seahawks fans looking for a quick snort before or after a game. But the brewery pulled the plug on the facility on April 30, 2020, saying that operating in a COVID-19 era would be too challenging; without the fans, the business was not viable.
But with the economy rebounding and fans returning to MLB, NFL and MLS events at T-Mobile Park and CenturyLink Field, the Mariners decided to sign a 23-year lease for the 30,000 square-foot-space, saving part of it for future office space and devoting the rest to an overhauled restaurant/bar setup.
For the Mariners, the move serves two purposes: it adds another destination to the ballpark area, and it also serves as a financial investment in Seattle’s Black community. As noted, the restaurant and bar will be run by Black-owned Métier Brewing out of nearby Woodinville, which brews a line of award-winning beers and offers local cider, in-house nitro brewed coffee and more. The restaurant/bar is envisioned as an indoor/outdoor space highlighted by “Steelheads Alley,” named for the 1946 Seattle Negro Leagues team in the West Coast Baseball Association, with photos of the team inside. (The West Coast Baseball Association, set up as a Black counterpart to the Pacific Coast League, doesn’t get a lot of press, but there are plenty of fascinating stories there.) The entire space can be configurable to host groups and special events.
“We saw this as an opportunity to revitalize SoDo,” said Mariners Vice President and General Counsel Fred Rivera as he led KING 5 through the space Tuesday morning. “We want to be a participant in revitalizing this neighborhood. SoDo needs that.”
Rivera said the organization will spend “tens of millions” of dollars on the renovation, which is already underway. It will include earthquake-retrofitting the building, first constructed in 1914 along an old rail line, and landscaping the exterior along 1st. There will be additional windows, and multiple entrances too. It has been unoccupied since Pyramid abandoned the spot in March 2020.
“You’ll be coming to a space that celebrates award-winning beers, and also celebrates some of the rich diverse history of Seattle,” said Metier co-founder and CEO Rodney Hines.
The restaurant/bar will occupy the first floor of the building and is expected to open in July or August 2022. The other two floors are slated for a later renovation, with the current goal use by small community nonprofits.