Hundreds of layoffs along the waterfront

Mary Bruno

Mary Bruno Jul 8, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Hundreds of layoffs along the waterfront</h1>
                <h2><p>If you want to see some real mummies in Seattle this year, you’d better do it in the next two months — Ye Old Curiosity Shop, home of Sylvester the Mummy and others, is one of the 15 waterfront businesses that will be shutting down between October and June 2015</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/mary-bruno-crosscut-com/">Mary Bruno</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>If you want to see some real mummies in Seattle this year, you’d better do it in the next two months — Ye Old Curiosity Shop, home of Sylvester the Mummy and others, is one of the 15 waterfront businesses that will be shutting down between October and June 2015 as the city replaces the seawall. Curiosity Shop manager Neil James told Crosscut that it’s the longest stretch of time the store has been closed since opening its doors in 1889. The move will affect 30 of Curiosity Shop employees, but overall, <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2014/08/hundreds-of-workers-will-be-laid-off-as-waterfront.html?page=all&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">hundreds of workers</a> will be laid off during seawall restoration. The city has agreed to compensate businesses to the tune of $15 million, but that only covers about 55 to 65 percent of projected losses, according to the <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/07/08/waterfront-businesses-to-close-during.html?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">Puget Sound Business Journal</a>. The Seattle Aquarium, the Great Wheel and Argosy Cruises will stay open during construction.  — M.L.</p>
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If you want to see some real mummies in Seattle this year, you’d better do it in the next two months — Ye Old Curiosity Shop, home of Sylvester the Mummy and others, is one of the 15 waterfront businesses that will be shutting down between October and June 2015 as the city replaces the seawall. Curiosity Shop manager Neil James told Crosscut that it’s the longest stretch of time the store has been closed since opening its doors in 1889. The move will affect 30 of Curiosity Shop employees, but overall, hundreds of workers will be laid off during seawall restoration. The city has agreed to compensate businesses to the tune of $15 million, but that only covers about 55 to 65 percent of projected losses, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. The Seattle Aquarium, the Great Wheel and Argosy Cruises will stay open during construction. — M.L.

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By Mary Bruno

Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,