The Sarah Queen: Live Iconic

Seattle’s historic Central District is a neighborhood long recognized as a hub for Black culture, entrepreneurship, and community resilience. Once the heart of Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions, the area carries a layered history marked by both systemic challenges and the enduring spirit of its people. This location serves as both backdrop and inspiration, a place where cultural memory and forward momentum converge.

As the Central District evolved and changed, on the East side of the state, in Spokane, WA, a woman named Sarah Queen Gardner was weaving her own story. In the 60’s and 70’s, Sarah opened salons in challenging Spokane locations and neighborhoods, with a goal of not only building her family business, but of also creating lift for the communities around her. A pioneering businesswoman, civic activist and deeply religious woman, Sarah welcomed all people and was a champion of the Black community, working tirelessly to ensure the city leadership met the needs of its people. Sarah’s optimism, work ethic and commitment to community created a strong impression on her grandson, project developer, Jaebadiah Gardner.

Once the location of the Mount Calvary Christian Center, the project site has long been an address that played witness to hope, celebrations, challenges and the beauty of neighbors coming together. The church was a foundation of the Black community, of the neighborhood, and of the people who gathered to worship within its walls. As parishioners moved out of the community, and headed to Seattle’s outskirts, the church leadership began to look for a path forward. Sarah Queen Gardner, was a deeply religious woman who was heavily involved in the local churches in Spokane and at the time of her passing, Sarah Queen Gardner’s going away ceremony was held at Calvary Church in Spokane. The lines of synergy were apparent. Her life was celebrated at Calvary Church in Spokane and Jaebadiah Gardner was presented with the opportunity to acquire a church, Mt. Calvary. Jaebadiah Gardner, the founder and owner of GardnerGlobal saw an opportunity to create a vision that would speak to his grandmother’s legacy and maintain the cultural interigity and history of Mt. Calvary Christian Center.

The architecture features a bespoke woven black brick, giving the building distinction and strength while welcoming residents with warm lighting at its entry. A market at the front doors and a sunken upper-level bar invite community connection. Standing apart from its competitors, the building will avoid murals in favor of celebrating history through materiality and form, creating a presence that is both sophisticated and unique.

The residents and community at The Sarah Queen are multigenerational, culturally diverse, and deeply engaged in social and civic life. Many are entrepreneurs, artists, and longtime families with history tied to the central district. It’s a community shaped by creativity and the drive to keep culture visible in the face of change. The “Intertwined” design concept celebrates the ways people are bound to one another, how hands and arms tangle together, how stories weave into one, and how history threads itself through generations. It reflects the truth that each of us is the result of countless threads from everyone we’ve ever loved and learned from. It’s nod to Sarah Queen’s lasting impact and connection to her community. It’s a reminder that when we are deeply connected to those around us, even when we leave, we are never truly gone. Our thread is woven into the fabric of others, where it will always stay.In design, this becomes a language of layers, textures, and intersecting forms that echo strength and softness. The interiors will honor legacy while creating room for new patterns of community, creativity, and everyday life to emerge.

With a bustling market hall focused on locally owned small businesses and entreprenuers. TSQ will offer affordable retail space for businesses to give the residents and the community a vibrant space to work, commune and live. Locally owned businesses have always been the backbone of the Central District’s retail experience. The street-level commercial space at Sarah Queen has been planned to help small businesses network and thrive with a series of petite spaces that, when combined, create a significant draw. Visitors will be able to wander and window-shop, talk over a meal with friends, and find unique purchases all in one short block. The goal is to create a magnetic and walkable urban retail experience.