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March 17, 2003
Sims announces new partnerships to move Northgate development and transportation hub forward
King County Executive Ron Sims today announced key agreements clearing the way for a major new transit center and transit-oriented development project at Northgate.
“I am pleased to announce today that some vital partnerships have been struck that will set the stage for major transportation improvements, investments and transit-friendly development at Northgate,” King County Executive Ron Sims said. “A new commitment to action in the Northgate area outlined today by Seattle and King County coupled with a new agreement-in-principle between the county and the State of Washington will allow us to move forward with transportation and transit-oriented development improvements as early as next year, if funding can be found.”
Sims outlined the unique agreement between the county and State Department of Transportation that will allow the two agencies to exchange property for public improvements – a land-swap that would clear the way for the county to assume ownership of a park-and-ride owned by WSDOT at Northgate. This agreement will allow the county more flexibility in working with a future developer to create a transit-friendly development, park-and-ride garages and a relocated transit center. King County, in turn, has agreed to provide WSDOT with equivalent assets.
Last week, county councilmembers working on a Regional Transportation Investment District additionally agreed to add $30 million from that proposal to move park-and-ride spaces from surface lots into garages immediately adjacent to the current Northgate Transit Center. This will allow the city of Seattle to pursue its goal of converting the lot at Fifth and 112th into public park.
An announcement earlier this week pointing to more optimistic financing for the north leg of Sound Transit’s light rail project is also seen as significant in helping the county develop a major public transportation hub at Northgate. A recent tentative agreement between the county and city of Seattle on the relocation of the bus transit center to First Avenue will provide a direct connection for bus riders to the future light rail station.
These developments are key first steps in moving forward King County’s proposal to create a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and transit center on an eight-acre site south of the mall. The TOD and transit center would replace four King County Metro Transit park-and-ride lots and the current Northgate Transit Center.
In addition to creating these partnerships, the King County Department of Transportation is also working on a series of alternatives showing what this urban community could potentially look like and how a redeveloped transit center could complement those alternatives. The transit center would also serve as an important transfer point in North Seattle. Currently, weekday bus trips through the Northgate Transit Center total 785, with over 7,000 daily passenger boardings. By 2020, Northgate light-rail ridership is forecasted at 10,000 daily boardings, with 75 percent of those riders arriving and departing by bus.
A recently completed first alternative looks at potential elements such as a cinema, housing, retail, restaurants and day care center. A variety of transit improvements such as new park-and-ride garages and a pedestrian skybridge would serve residents, bus passengers and mall patrons. Eventually, light rail or even a monorail station could be added.
The county will be commissioning the development of additional alternatives in the coming weeks with each option subject to public comment. Selection of a final design will be based on proposals from interested developers and will then be subject to approval by the city of Seattle. King County Metro will also be focusing on ways to secure the necessary funding to begin phasing in transit center improvements as early as next year. The private development elements of the project could come in 2005-06 pending completion of the public improvements and the real estate market.
Related information:
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