Today the broker for the iconic Edith Macefield house in Ballard told a news conference that a non-profit has been chosen as the recipient, and that the structure will be donated and moved to a different location.

“The house really will float away, but not by air. I can’t possibly imagine a more wonderful ending for this chapter of the Edith Macefield story,” said listing broker Paul Thomas.

OPAL (“Of People And Land”) Community Land Trust at 286 Enchanted Forest Road on Orcas Island is the recipient of the Edith MaceField house. The organization offers working families a way to buy homes and potentially build assets through a community land trust. They use private and public grants to hold lands and build or refurbish homes.

According to Rural Family Economic Success Action Network (RuFES.org), five percent of Orcas Island working families own homes through OPAL Community Land Trust.

Thomas and the owners announced last month that they would be willing to donate the house if a qualified organization applied. If not, the famous “Up” home was going to be demolished. Thomas reported that they received five proposals and that OPAL stood out among the other organizations.

“The sellers and I agreed that we would give preference to a non-profit. We received five proposals and the one we chose was head and shoulders above rest.”

The OPAL is planning a Kickstarter campaign to begin immediately to cover the substantial cost of the move. Depending on permitting from the city and funding, they hope to move the house 60 to 90 days from now. They plan to move the house by truck to the water and move it by barge to Orcas Island. Once there the house will be used as affordable housing.

“It would be really nice to see it go to a setting that’s not so claustrophobic. It will be in the presence of trees and have sunlight falling on it and not have concrete walls around it. It’s just a really nice place for the house to end up, and I think it will be terrific.”

Thomas said that before the move they plan to have a going away party for the community and that there will be a reception party on the island once the house is settled.

So why OPAL?

“I have become a steward of the house and am completely comfortable with the non-profit we’ve selected and sending it off to be affordable housing. … They wrote a proposal that made it clear they understand how important it is and that they are devoted to preserving it and making it livable for affordable housing.”
“The reason it’s going far away is because we just didn’t see any proposals from organizations in Seattle that made sense and that preserved the home. The city has made it clear it’s not up to code and that it would take substantial improvements for the use.”

Last month Thomas reported that buyers were deterred from purchasing the home because the structure is not up to the 2012 housing code and that the improvements needed would be costly.

In 2006, Edith Macefield refused to sell her 1,550-square-foot house to developers after they offered her $1 million. Macefield had lived in the home since 1952. Developers of the current Ballard Blocks built the commercial complex around Macefield’s property while she lived there. Macefield died June 15, 2008 of pancreatic cancer. She was 86. Her home has become an iconic symbol for "steadfast" opposition to development.

Readers can find the campaign by searching Edith Macefield on Kickstarter or find a link at website at nobsbroker.com.

“I’m pleased with our decisions. We casted a wide net through the press and feel the organization is going to be good stewards for the house. We preferred to have it stay where it is but this is a good alternate and a good end to the chapter of the story.”