Key Bank Building Gets Mural on Capitol Hill
Artist Glynn Rosenberg unveiled a mural on the north side of a Key Bank building on 15th Ave E in Capitol Hill.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Artist Glynn Rosenberg unveiled a mural on the north side of the Key Bank building at 321 15th Ave E in Capitol Hill. The project was supported by the GSBA, King County funding, and Urban ArtWorks.
Why it matters
The bank property was once slated for a 40-foot mixed-use apartment building, a project halted by the mortgage meltdown and economic crisis that followed. The mural marks a new chapter for a site that has sat above one of the largest remaining surface parking lots on Capitol Hill.
The 2005 rezone allowed a 40-foot mixed-use apartment building on the site, which was halted before construction. The bank building at 321 15th Ave E still stands above a large surface parking lot, and no demolition date has been announced.
The players
Glynn Rosenberg
Artist who created the mural on the north side of the Key Bank building in Capitol Hill.
Key Bank
Regional bank that owns the 15th Ave E building and commissioned the mural.
The details
Key Bank said the GSBA, funding from King County, and Urban ArtWorks helped make the mural possible. In 2005 the bank had the property lined up for a city-approved rezone for a mixed-use apartment building before the financial crisis stopped the project.
Timeline
2005: Key Bank lined up a rezone for a 40-foot mixed-use apartment building.
2008: The financial crisis halted the planned apartment project.
November 5, 2026: The mural on the Key Bank building was unveiled.
Market Landscape
The stalled 2005 apartment plan reflects how the 2008 financial crisis froze development across Seattle's urban core. Other mixed-use projects with dozens of new apartments have since risen along 15th Ave E, and a six-story redevelopment of the old QFC block is underway.
Residents and commuters on 15th Ave E will see a new mural on the Key Bank building, while the surrounding parking lot and block remain part of the area's ongoing redevelopment. The site's future apartment project depends on when the bank building is eventually torn down.
The takeaway
A stalled development can leave a lasting mark on a neighborhood, and public art sometimes arrives while larger plans wait. Residents interested in the area's future can watch for permits tied to the site's eventual redevelopment.
Further reading
Explore more Openings & Closings news from Seattle to see how neighborhood storefronts are changing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CHS Capitol Hill Seattle.
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