“People, not profit,” along with other slogans of the oppressed were shouted by demonstrators in front of the offices of Goodman Real Estate at Pier 70 during the early afternoon hours on Mar. 11.

The Theodora Rescue Committee and the Lockhaven Tenants Union led the picket with large signs lashed with photographs of Goodman Real Estate Chairman, John Goodman, and President and CEO, George Petrie.

The two groups formed in reaction to Goodman Real Estate’s plans for the properties: Lockhaven in Ballard, and The Theodora in Ravenna.

At Lockhaven, the Union formed after Goodman Real Estate sent eviction letters to the tenants late last year and increased the rent across the board. Some rents doubled. Since then the Union has been asking for assistance with relocation costs.

The Theodora Rescue Committee was formed to stave off Goodman Real Estate’s potential eviction plans after the Theodora building owner's, the Volunteers of America, signed a purchase and sale agreement with the real estate company. The Committee has asked Goodman Real Estate to withdraw from the purchase, and “to stop preying on Seattle’s remaining affordable housing.”

At the demonstration, picketers had signs that depicted a “symbolic eviction notice” for Goodman Real Estate, and they asked that John Goodman would “comply with tenants’ demands for dignity or take his business out of Seattle.”

Additionally, the eviction notice demanded that Goodman Real Estate discontinue the purchase of the Theodora from the Volunteers of America, offer affordable rent rates for Lockhaven tenants and allay the displacement of Lockhaven tenants with $25 hundred toward relocation assistance.

Eliana Horn, Community Organizer for Tenants Union of Washington State, said that the demonstration was a collective effort on behalf of tenants at Theodora and Lockhaven, and that they hope to sway Goodman from further action.

“ Goodman Real Estate is going to convert one of the few remaining affordable housing buildings left in Seattle to market-rate-housing. It’s not possible to construct another building like it in Ravenna because of zoning issues, and so there is not going to be a place for affordable housing in that area,” said Horn.

“ At Lockhaven they (Goodman Real Estate)are planning on doing cosmetic renovations and then hike the rents up as much as double to market-rates, leaving most tenants being unable to afford to live there.”

Through the demonstration the tenants hoped to call attention to Goodman Real Estate’s development practices and how the company is gentrifying Seattle. They demanded that Goodman honor their requests in order to keep their homes.