By Keelin Everly-Lang for the West Seattle Herald

The Burien Annex is an old building that needs renovation and the nonprofits housed there know that. But getting a 53-day warning to vacate the property did come as a surprise last December and threw many of them into a tailspin worrying about the future. 

On January 16 the city council voted for a six-month extension for the organizations after assessing the safety and health risks as safe enough to stay.

A home for theatre, children, immigrant families and people experiencing homelessness has a second chance to continue serving the community. Most are even keeping doors open during the COVID-19 outbreak

Seven nonprofits are based out of the Burien Annex. The old building was declared a safety risk in December and they were told they could not renew their leases for the new year.  

Transform Burien is one of these nonprofits and has been serving at risk people in Burien for many years. In addition to hot food served three times a week, they also provide clothing and food banks, showers, laundry and healthcare services. 

Barbara Ostlund was homeless for five years and during that time came there three times a week for food. Now that she has housing, she still comes back each week for the community connection. 

“This was my sanctuary. Without this place, I would’ve died,” Ostlund said. 

Currently the organization is still serving food but has changed their tactics to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Sack lunches have replaced the steaming casserole dishes and open plates of cookies. Pre-packed grocery bags have taken the place of the option to shop in the food bank for necessities. Older and at risk volunteers still put in the time to help, but from a distance, and drop off food for others to serve, according to longtime volunteer Don Berg. 

Last year they served over 18,000 meals. Berg and the team of 14 churches who run the program hope to be able to do the same this year, despite the challenges.

Barbara Ostlund and Wendy Mitchell share a meal together at Transform Burien, a nonprofit housed in the Burien Annex. Many of the people served by the meal program are not currently homeless, but are food insecure and vulnerable to becoming so.

Back in January, these challenges for all seven nonprofits began with the eviction notice. 

“Everyone was terrified.” said Maggie Larrick, managing director of the Burien Actor’s Theatre. She explained that especially for the BAT and Transform Burien, the compressed timeline could have been the end of the organizations. 

BAT has rooms filled floor to ceiling with costumes and props. They own the lighting grid, curtains and risers that make up the theater itself. And they are in the middle of their season producing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Moving the entire theater would have been impossible on such short notice, according to the managing directors. Their only option would have been to sue for more time. 

Today BAT is keeping performances going despite the fears of COVID-19, according to their website. They state that they are following all CDC recommendations and seat only 94 and are well below the recent restriction on crowds of less than 250.

Their ticket sales have still been impacted even while keeping their doors open, according to their website.

Eric Dickman of BAT was adamant that the theatre and the other nonprofits all understood that they were occupying an old space and would need to move at some point. They know the city has plans for the space and that eventually it will need an upgrade. 

When the Burien City Council announced that there was a safety risk, the residents of the building were obviously concerned, Dickman said. The managing directors of the theatre asked for a safety and health evaluation to understand the extent and urgency of the problem. 

These results included many common problems of old buildings that can seem intimidating on first read, but in reality pose no immediate threat. Some lead was found in water fountains—ones that had not been used in years, according to Dickman. Floor tiles contain asbestos that is contained unless they are broken.

After the first announcement in December a community outpouring of support was instrumental in achieving an extension. Supporters of BAT alone sent over 200 letters. Volunteers from the churches that support Transform Burien came to every city council meeting. 

“For the community, I want to thank you for turning out, this has been a hard decision with a lot of high emotions,” Mayor Jimmy Matta said at the end of the meeting that ended in a lease extension. “We are the stewards of the money and of the organization, of the city, but at the end of the day, remember that your advocacy, your involvement, your participation, is really why you got where you are today.”

The nonprofits at the Burien Annex have three months until their lease is up. Right now they are juggling their response to the COVID-19 outbreak and negotiating new places to house their programs.  

The BAT hopes to finish their season, the preschool will try to finish their school year and the vulnerable population that depends on Transform Burien will have support to make it to warmer months when housing and electricity bill pressures ease.

Berg was positive in the face of both the upcoming termination of the lease and dealing with COVID-19.