The franchise owner of the Denny's restaurant, which for 23 years occupied the building now up for landmark status with the city of Seattle, said it wants to re-open at the popular Ballard diner site.

DWO, a franchise company based in La Palma, Calif., purchased the Denny's at the northwest corner of15th and Market Street in June, but had to shutter in September to make way for a planned mixed-use development.

Gene Erdman, director of human resources for DWO, contacted the News-Tribune early Monday morning.

"...DWO would welcome the opportunity to re-open our Denny's restaurant in that exact location if at all possible," Erdman said. "We would re-open tomorrow if possible. We would be very happy to be able to serve our loyal customer base in the Ballard area."

A city board will decide Feb. 6 whether the building, a former Manning's Cafeteria designed by a well-known Bay Area architect, is important enough to warrant a landmark designation. Architecture experts believe it's a prime example of a type of roadside architecture called "Googie," which originated in the Las Angeles area.

The developer's, Rhapsody partners, are hoping to buy the site from Benaroya Properties to build an eight-story condo. If approved by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, it might be impossible to develop anything there because of restrictions to modifying historic structures.

Louie Richmond, a spokesman for Rhapsody, said Benaroya still plans to sell the site to Rhapsody and move forward with the condominium project. It was purchased for $12.5 million from the Seattle Monorail Project.

"The economics do not make sense as a restaurant," Richmond said. "That simple."

But Erdman said he wants to begin operating in Ballard "immediately."

"We are not in the business of closing restaurants," Erdman told the News-Tribune in October, days after the diner closed up. "We kind of fell victim to that development."

"I can tell you with 100 percent assuredness we are ready to open back up tomorrow. We'd mobilize our troops...we want to be (in Ballard)."

For a more in-depth update, check the Jan. 23 print and online issue of the Ballard News-Tribune.

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at 783-1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com.