A sour note on E Union: Building issues force closure of Central District’s Meter Music School

Meter ukelele camp (Image: Meter Music School)

(Image: Meter Music School)

The Central District has lost a music school. After 15 years of guitar, singing, piano, banjo, drums, and ukulele lessons, Meter Music School has shuttered its E Union location as instruction continues at its Columbia City headquarters.

Director Brendan Bosworth confirmed the closure with CHS Monday as the school announced the shutdown to students current and past.

“Our building in the Central District needs major upgrades, so we made the decision to bring all of our programming over to our Columbia City location,” Bosworth said. “It was a wonderful 15 year run on East Union Street.”

Filings with the city show that an annual fire inspection in 2026 raised concerns regarding “unpermitted or non-compliant basement wiring” and structural issues related to unpermitted work on the 1900-era building the music school has called home.

In July, the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections issued a notice of violation citing the years ago unpermitted conversion work and failure to secure a change of use permit to establish a music institution.

Meter began the pre-application process for working with the city to address the violations but the costs apparently didn’t pencil out for Bosworth or the property’s longtime owners, area real estate investors Charles Ragen and Wenjun Chen.

On Capitol Hill, structural problems and costs around a 96-year-old commercial building on 15th Ave E led to the exit of three businesses in September.

The Meter change will leave a hole in the string of businesses along E Union just west of 23rd and will mean a few changes for area families with young students who have attended in-person instruction at Meter.

In addition to independent instructors, other area options include the School of Rock chain’s studio in Montlake.

Bosworth says Gentle Giant Jiu Jitsu in Madrona has offered to take on the “MiniMeter baby & toddler classes” for area families. Meanwhile, the Columbia City Meter will now operate seven days a week.

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