A King County Superior Court judge this week dismissed a legal challenge seeking to halt demolition of the historic Masonic Home property in Des Moines, a ruling that removes the latest court obstacle to redevelopment of the nearly century-old site.
The court decision is the latest development in a yearslong dispute over the future of the historic, nearly century-old property overlooking Puget Sound. Zenith Properties LLC has owned the site for more than six and a half years, acquiring the property in November 2019 after it was sold by the Masons for $11.5 million.
In his order, Judge Joe Campagna wrote that “the impacts of possible future development are not impacts of demolition because they are not effects or consequences caused by demolition,” concluding that the city’s environmental review was not required to analyze hypothetical redevelopment that has not been proposed.
As we’ve previously reported, Citizens for the Protection of Des Moines’ Historic Resources filed an appeal in King County Superior Court in January seeking to overturn a December 2025 hearing examiner decision that upheld the City of Des Moines’ approval of a demolition permit for the former Masonic Home site.
Property owner Zenith Properties LLC has not publicly revealed any specific redevelopment plans for the former Masonic Home site. Multiple city documents and environmental review materials state that the company has only applied for a demolition permit and has not submitted plans for what would be built afterward.
In its appeal, the preservation group argued that errors were made in the earlier decision and sought judicial review of the city’s actions. Supporters also launched fundraising campaigns to help pay for court costs and legal representation.
The judge also wrote that the site faced a choice between demolition through a permit process or eventual “demolition through neglect,” citing expert reports that found rehabilitating the nearly century old buildings would require tens of millions of dollars and was not practically feasible.
Campagna wrote that the petitioners never identified a specific redevelopment project that the city should have analyzed, and that requiring additional environmental review would have meant speculating about a development’s size, configuration and potential impacts before any such project had been proposed.
“SEPA does not require such speculation,” Campagna wrote.
The iconic Masonic Home property at 23660 Marine View Drive South has been at the center of a prolonged debate between preservation advocates and redevelopment interests. The former retirement home, completed in 1926, has been identified as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, but the Masons never applied for that.
Despite the setback, preservation advocates indicated the fight may not be over. According to KING 5 News, Lloyd Lytle Jr., president of Citizens for the Protection of Des Moines Historic Resources said a new appeal in a different court is being discussed and added,
“We know a lot of people have connections to the historic building,” Lytle said. “They’re joining in the effort to save it, and that’s inspiring.”
The Waterland Blog has requested additional information regarding the dismissal and will update this story if and when more details become available.
