World Cup Reveals Pioneer Square's Hidden Past | Seattle News

The FIFA World Cup is turning Occidental Square into a bustling hub, drawing crowds to Seattle’s historic heart—and revealing a wild past. Once home to the legendary Occidental Hotel, now buried under the Sinking Ship garage, the square’s story is one of fire, rebirth, and preservation. The hotel’s fiery demise in the Great Seattle Fire led to a third, iconic version—the Seattle Hotel—that later became a library before its 1961 demolition sparked a citywide movement to save Pioneer Square’s soul. Though the plaza itself is a 1970s creation, the World Cup is giving a new generation a reason to explore—and maybe even fall in love with—Seattle’s most storied neighborhood. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/aaf1e7a2a3c35d23