Sodo Sears' legacy, Starbucks' action and Frank Stagen's vision By ELLIS E. CONKLIN SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER People called Frank Stagen crazy when he bought Sodo's biggest building from Sears in 1990 and renamed it Sodo Center. "People have called me a lot of other things than crazy," says Stagen, shown here with the view north from his building toward downtown. In 1912, Sears opened its first catalog distribution center outside Chicago in the huge structure at 2401 Utah Ave. S. It went up for sale in 1987 as the chain's business strategies changed and the area began to grow increasingly shabby. Stagen had a vision for the 1.8 million-square-foot building -- the second-largest structure in terms of square feet in the Northwest, beaten only by Boeing's assembly plant at Paine Field. He transformed the space and capped it with 12-foot-high, bright red letters christening it Sodo Center. They've since been replaced by the blue Starbucks "siren" icon, marking the building's primary tenant. Stagen remembers well how the area looked back then. "This was a blight on 17 acres. Very gray and dismal. There were no cars, no people. But it's going to be fun to watch the future here. Hotels? Maybe. Maybe middle-income housing and more artist lofts."		Saturday, April 11, 1998 It's gritty, blue-collar and sometimes home Residents and businesses fear new stadiums will paralyze traffic Sears' legacy, Starbucks' action and Frank Stagen's vision How to find a few frills and thrills amid the factories It's a hit when former restaurateur switches to supply side Urban art, barbeque and one huge building open to the public -- check it out By the numbers Nearby communities:     Georgetown     International District     Pioneer Square