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Building owner struck no deal

Thursday, December 9, 1999

By PHUONG LE Mail Author
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The owner of the building taken over last week by young homeless advocates doesn't plan to give up his building for low-income housing.

Wah Lui said he never agreed to convert his building, at 918 Virginia St., and doesn't plan to "cave in" to demonstrators, though some people believed he had struck such a deal to regain possession of the building.

Demonstrators occupied the three-story structure at the start of the World Trade Organization meeting and didn't leave until Saturday, when city officials asked housing activists to help negotiate a resolution.

Housing activists insist Lui agreed to work with them on the issue, and demonstrators went home claiming victory.

Lui said he agreed to meet with SHARE/Wheel, a homeless advocacy group but now says he is too upset with recent events to consider it. He said he's also too far along in renovating the $1.7 million building into offices to change course.

"To demonstrate is one thing," a furious Lui said from his downtown loft office. "It's another thing to say, 'We won't go until you do this.'"

Lui, 62, who owns Yuen Lui Studios, lashed out at city officials for not taking action against the demonstrators. He wanted them arrested, he said.

No arrests were made, police spokeswoman Pam McCammon said, because "it basically wasn't a safe or efficient thing to do at the time."

Bob Royer, acting spokesman for Mayor Paul Schell, said the city didn't take action, preferring to negotiate with demonstrators.

But John Citoli, whose business on the building's ground floor was disrupted when the city shut off electricity, gas and water to put pressure on the squatters last week, said he may have to close shop.

"I was sacrificed as a business owner," said Citoli, 40, who owns Citi Productions, a packaging and distribution business.

Citoli said he tried unsuccessfully to fill client orders in his warehouse, using generators and lanterns to work. "This is my peak business time, but it's been dead all day," he said. "If they want to scream and yell, that's fine. They have the right to protest. But what gives the city the right to do what they did to me?"

About 150 protesters took up residence in the second and third floors of the building last week, saying they were calling attention to homelessness. They kept warm with blankets, ate canned food and used flashlights.

While some activists accused him of flip-flopping on the matter, Lui yesterday said he never agreed to offer the building for low-cost housing.

"I don't want to appear that I caved in because I don't want another building occupied," Lui said. "I wanted these kids to be arrested. It was a nightmare."

Sharon Lee, executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute, said Lui had expressed interest in working with housing advocates.

"We figured this would help keep the peace," said Lee, who helped convince demonstrators to voluntarily leave the building Saturday morning.

"Of course we're disappointed, but we are hopeful that he will reconsider and play a positive role in trying to alleviate the homeless situation."

P-I reporter Phuong Le can be reached at 206-903-0728 or phuongle@seattle-pi.com

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