In August, the Seattle Convention Center organized a weekly evening market and pedestrian fair on Ninth Avenue outside the Paramount Theatre, inspired by the atmosphere of the World Cup, when city streets were closed to cars for large-scale celebrations. To decorate the space, organizers painted 35 colored circles and five long white lines on the pavement. But the event ended three weeks ago, and the street is still closed: The paint has proved far more difficult to remove than expected.
The problem affects a section of downtown that is not especially busy, but the closure has cost drivers direct access to the express lanes of Interstate 5. For now, they can reach them from Pike Street, while motorists traveling west on Pine Street or south on Ninth Avenue must detour several blocks. The Seattle Department of Transportation said the street will be reopened only after all of the temporary markings have been completely removed.
Organizers have already erased 14 circles, but most of the designs and all of the white lines remain. The event used Sherwin-Williams Forte and Pro-Park acrylic paints, designed for durable surfaces and parking lots rather than short-term urban events. Workers have used graffiti remover and heated pressure washing, but without a final result so far. SDOT does not plan to fine the Convention Center, noting that it is cooperating with the department and making a good-faith effort to resolve the problem; no exact reopening date has been announced.
Based on: Seattle Convention Center painted the street. The paint won’t come off