Columbia City's Historic Funeral Home Property Hits Market After Fire

The property that housed the former Columbia City Funeral Home and Crematory is up for sale.

The Rainier Avenue site went up for sale early November, nearly three months after the business caught fire in an alleged arson attack. Funeral home owner Russ Weeks said the cost of repairs was too expensive compared to the value of the real estate.

The 33,000 square foot lot, located on the busy intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Alaska Street, is currently priced at $7.5 million.

"[The land] is more valuable just as a commercial property," Weeks said.

Columbia Funeral Home and Crematory opened in 1907. Many Rainier Valley residents recognize the place for its Christmas nativity scene that included a lit-up Snoopy each year. Many have memories of attending funeral services for their neighbors there.

The iconic building went up in flames July 30. A person was caught on camera setting fire to the front porch in the early morning hours. The damage was estimated at about $30,000, according to fire officials.

Weeks wants to continue being part of the historic legacy, but staying on the property would mean bringing "everything up to code," including installing new plumbing, heating, and electrical.

"I have mixed emotions," Weeks said. "But all those things make it difficult to justify rebuilding."

Columbia Funeral Home is one of few funeral homes that have their own crematories in Puget Sound. Corey Gaffney from Tacoma, who owns a number of funeral businesses in the state, says losing even one crematory will raise the cost for crematory services from other providers.

"Columbia takes care of their own [crematory services] workload," Gaffney said. "Losing a crematory, especially in the Seattle area, is bad. And it will affect the market."

If the property sells, Weeks hopes to move the iconic business to a more affordable location in the neighborhood. But right now, it's too early to tell, he said.

Weeks and his brother have owned the Columbia Funeral Home and Crematory building since 2008. The family owns seven other locations in Emuclaw, Tacoma, Buckley, Kent, Centralia, and Bremerton.

Editors' Note: This article was updated to correct the date of the fire.