SEATTLE — A luxury condo for sale in downtown Seattle is intrinsically linked to the Starbucks legacy.
Howard Behar, who served as president of Starbucks Coffee Company International, built the 4,200-square-foot home in the Escala building in 2010.
"We didn't want Manhattan, we wanted Seattle,” he said. "This is a special place to me. It's not just any city, it's my home."
It was the realization of he and wife Lynn’s urban dream. They loved the city long before they could afford a luxury residence.
“My father came to Seattle in 1911 as a 15-year-old from Bulgaria,” Mr. Behar said. "I was born at Swedish Hospital. When I was 10 years old, I could come downtown by myself. Seattle is a special place, and we still love it.”
He grew up sweeping floors in his family's small grocery store, and never went to college. But in 1989, he found his calling.
"I met this young guy named Howard Schultz and he had a big dream,” Mr. Behar said.
At the time, Starbucks had 28 stores. Behar's "servant leadership" philosophy became the foundation of the company's culture and by the time he retired in 2007, there were thousands of locations worldwide.
"I had no idea it was going to become what it became,” he said. "It was an incredible experience, it's hard to explain that experience."
He traveled the globe, but downtown Seattle was always home base. The Escala condo put his family right in the middle of it.
"We wanted it to be a home, not some fancy place that you don't live,” he said. "Easy living, comfortable. Not ostentatious but nice."
There are two wings with four bedrooms and four baths, including a spa-like space with a steam shower and heated floors.
Sliding walls reveal everything from a large television screen in a sitting room, to a well-appointed kitchen and chef's pantry in another.
There's an open flow layout into the dining and living areas and large windows in every room showcase Puget Sound, the Cascades and Olympics and the Space Needle.
"When our grandkids were little, they'd be afraid to look out the windows and now they're 23, 21, 19,” Mrs. Behar said.
Mr. Behar added, “Now they want to come up and look at the fireworks."
The warm, Northwest-inspired interior is also something to see. The ceiling in the main living area is made of cedar.
"Howard picked every piece of wood on the floor because he wouldn't have a single knot in the wood,” Mrs. Behar said.
Mr. Behar added, “"Fortunately Lynn let me fly, because I love it. When you put your soul in some place, it just becomes special in your heart and that's what I wanted it to be."
Mrs. Behar does oncology social work in her spacious office overlooking the water. Down the hall, Mr. Behar has his own office filled with Starbucks memorabilia and a priceless painting of himself, Schultz and former CEO Orin Smith.
"The three of us together, it was an incredible journey,” Mr. Behar said.
But every journey eventually ends, and the Behars don’t need a large condo anymore. They plan on downsizing but won’t leave downtown Seattle.
"I want people to know that Seattle's coming back!” Mrs. Behar said. "It's a great city. I'm not afraid to walk alone, I go everywhere. I just always want to be a part of this city."
They hope whoever buys the condo will feel the hard work and joy that created it. The condo wasn't just their home - it's part of their love story.
"When you've been together 47 years, everything's a part of our love story,” Mr. Behar said. "It's going to be hard to leave this because we'll never have another place like this.”
Amenities at Escala include 24-hour concierge service and four parking spaces. The Behar’s condo is listed for $5,975,000.
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