P-I globe now a city landmark

Mayor Ed Murray signed an ordinance Thursday designating the 67-year-old P-I globe as a city landmark.

The move culminates a three-year process that began when the Landmarks Preservation Board designated the globe as a landmark in April 2012. Since then, the city has worked with the Hearst Corporation -- the globe's owner -- to develop a plan for the globe's preservation. Now with this new ordinance, the city can take the lead in guiding the restoration and placement of the globe, which sits atop the former P-I offices at 101 Elliott Ave. W.

The globe's permanent home has not yet been announced.

Several years ago, MOHAI, the city of Seattle and the Hearst Corporation forged an agreement to save the legendary waterfront "It's in the P-I" globe, after Hearst ended the P-I's print edition and the news service went online only in 2009 and then moved locations. The agreement donates the globe to MOHAI.

The globe was installed at the Sixth Avenue and Wall Street headquarters of the P-I in 1948 and was moved to its current Elliott Avenue location in 1986. Though it's no longer connected to seattlepi.com's current offices, it remains a visible, illuminated landmark on the Elliott Bay waterfront.