Home to neighborhood hotspots Walrus & Carpenter, Barnacle and Staple & Fancy, the historic Kolstrand Building on Ballard Ave. has sold for $9.9 million. King County records show the buyer is the Keyser Living Trust.
The early 1900s brick building was once a marine supply business. After it was bought in 2008 for $1.9 million, the owners extensively renovated the building in 2010, preserving much of its history.
Over the years that followed, the Kolstrand attracted Walrus & Carpenter and Barnacle from Renee Erickson and Staple & Fancy from Ethan Stowell, quickly becoming one of Old Ballard’s most popular destinations. In fact, the bar Barnacle was recently named one of the best American bars by Esquire magazine.
There’s no word if the new buyers, a family trust, will make any changes.
Staple & Fancy and Marine Hardware are Ethan’s but Barnacle and Walrus are Renee Erickson’s.