For much of August, Ninth Avenue between Pike and Pine streets was closed to traffic as the Seattle Convention Center hosted a weekly night market and pedestrian fair outside the Paramount Theatre. The event, Market at the Marquee, gave the block a festive makeover: the Convention Center painted 35 red, yellow, blue and green circles on the roadway, along with five thick white lines stretching nearly the length of the block.
The markets have ended, but Ninth Avenue remains closed. Loni Syltebo, a Convention Center spokesperson, told The Seattle Times that the acrylic paint used has “proven more difficult to remove than anticipated” despite using Taginator graffiti remover and heated pressure washers.
The reason, according to the Convention Center, is more complicated than simply removing the paint.
“During removal, portions of the roadway surface began to lift,” the Convention Center said in a Sept. 18 press release, prompting the Seattle Department of Transportation to determine that repairs are needed before the street can safely reopen.
The closure has also affected access to Interstate 5’s express lanes. While the entrance remains accessible from Pike Street, drivers traveling west on Pine or south on Ninth must detour several blocks to reach the highway.
The Convention Center said Market at the Marquee was designed as an “operational test-and-learn” aimed at creating a safer, cleaner, and more welcoming public space while supporting nearby businesses. It said the pilot accomplished many of those goals, though restoring the roadway “has taken longer than anticipated.”
Convention Center officials said they are meeting Sept. 18 with SDOT, contractors and other stakeholders to determine the “safest and fastest path forward.” The Convention Center has also offered to manage Ninth Avenue temporarily to maintain safe access while repairs continue.
The statement placed the roadway work within broader safety concerns around Ninth and Pike, pointing to recent collisions and calling for longer-term coordination. The Convention Center said it will continue working with the city and community partners on a safer, more connected corridor while it focuses first on reopening Ninth Avenue safely.
