Not worth reducing overdose deaths, helping prevent spread of stds, and feeding hungry people while connecting them with services they need if it means we may lose that cornerstone of downtown Seattle's history/culture and its economic powerhouse, the Ross Dress for Less.

LOL at "...the people who try to live and make a living down on 3rd Ave".

I guess I'm sad to see it go though I can't say I ever used it - there's still a newsstand inside the post office at Union.

There are lots of things that need to be remove on 3rd... This was not in the top 100.

@1
Overdose deaths and STDs are Seattles culture.

So let me get this straight: this stand - which operates under a permit that states the stand must 1) sell periodicals and 2) keep regular hours - doesn't sell periodicals anymore nor does it keep regular hours, and the owner is shocked that SDOT revoked the permit and took his shack away?

Like @3 said... there are lots of things that need to be removed on 3rd (can we nuke the whole street off the map?), but this seemed like a weird place to start. It's not like Ross is gunning for high end clientele and this place was deterring people from shopping in-store. I lived downtown for 5 years and honestly can't remember seeing this place once, so it doesn't seem like much of a loss.

Lets be honest here that newsstand has not sold news in years and is a complete eyesore and blocks part of the sidewalk at a very busy bus stop. All the services Gant claims to have been providing are available elsewhere often in much more appropriate locations offering additional services. This block has become an open air drug market with people doing fentanyl yoga at all hours. At least now the sidewalk will have more room to navigate around the yoga practitioners.

How fucking sad is it that a space that was used for decades to distribute knowledge and entertainment is now used to keep humans from dying on the street?

Limiting 3rd Ave to bus traffic only has outlived its usefulness. There are many fewer bus routes now that the majority of commuters to downtown link up to Light Rail.

Maybe let regular vehicle traffic back? Eyes on the street...

I kind of like the idea of someone selling something besides fentanyl at 3d and Pike.

Of course it was torn down. In the U.S., the government, whether city state or federal is woned and controlled by soul-less profi9teers - and it shows especially well in the City of Seattle which has become pretty much two-dimensional. The #1 rule is the rentiers come first. In fact, in this country/city/state the rentiers come first, last and only.

Why doesn't Gant erect his own structure - maybe one that could be taken down moved to different locations along 3rd Ave - and continue to do what he's been doing? I fail to see why a specific piece of built environment such as this booth is crucial to his outreach.

The City was hell bent on breaking various laws and municipal codes in order to make this happen. Why else would the SDOT gentrification lackeys and the city attorney expedite the removal of his newsstand immediately after being served with a TRO hearing notice? What an absolutely disgraceful and grotesque way for city officials to conduct themselves as they abuse laws put in place for our protection from them, such as due process. The city's Mafia like behavior needs to be investigated because this is very hostile and scary. The main theme seems to be that of the city continually harassing this man with audio torture and other methods of bullying instead of treating him with even a basic level of human decency. They are cowards because this is not leadership. I cannot even believe they hijacked Ben's Piroshky connection when they are receiving millions for this. Pathetic.

The only people the city leaders are serving are themselves and predatory realtors like Art Wahl because no one wanted or even asked for the removal of our history. What a sad time for Seattle. The ray of hope here is knowing there are still many kind hearted people out there in the world like Ben. I wish him the best and hope he sues and gets some Justice. Excellent reporting.

This is a simple case. His permit is for a newstand. He is not operating a newstand and hasn’t in some time. Case closed. The fact TS and other commenters agree with his new purpose is irrelevant. If he wants to do that apply for a new permit.

The man offered multiple and diverse publications. There were U.S. Constitutions inside the Newsstand when the city unlawfully removed it. I wonder who got to hold the box of U.S Constitution's as they ransacked his Newsstand or if they just threw them in the garbage. SDOT gave him no reason at all for the revocation of any of his permits. The city may now try to give poor excuses as to why they violated Gant's Civil Right's which would inevitably be completely dishonest. They are just looking like straight up villains with a total disdain for the people they are looking and punching down upon.