Capitol Hill Champion
About
Sound Transit is currently constructing a tunnel for Light Rail that will link Downtown Seattle to the University District with an underground Capitol Hill station on Broadway between E. Denny Way and E. John Street. This station is set to open in September 2016. In 2015, the surrounding land near this station that has been used for construction staging will be ready for redevelopment.
The Capitol Hill Champion is a joint venture of the Capitol Hill Community Council and the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. This group is working with Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, and other local groups to inform the uses, design, and function of the transit-oriented development (TOD) sites that will surround the future Broadway light rail station. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of the Broadway retail district, create community-oriented public spaces around the station, and set the stage for high-quality architecture and urban development that can be a model for other TOD sites in the city.
Project Updates
3/15/12: A development agreement (DA) is being developed between Seattle and Sound Transit, using the Urban Design Framework (UDF) suggestions, to guide the transit-oriented development above the future Capitol Hill light rail station. The City and Sound Transit would like to increase the site density further than that laid out in the UDF. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for developers is scheduled to go out September 2012 and the Request for Proposals (RFP) is scheduled to go out the first part of 2013, but this may be an overly optimistic timeline. As the community’s watchdog in this process, the Champion has been invited to co-host the RFQ process with Sound Transit. The Champion will continue to closely monitor (1) whether the increased density desired by the City and Sound Transit is compatible with the UDF and (2) whether a LGBTQ community center will be a part of the development. Follow this City of Seattle link for detailed information about the UDF: Urban Design Framework.
Background Information
After a community charrette in September 2009, the following community priorities were identified for the TOD sites:
- Development Projects of the Highest Quality
- A Permanent Home for the Farmers Market
- Affordable Housing and Business Space
- A Cultural Center and Community Spaces
- A Gateway and Neighborhood Way-finding
- Environmentally Responsible Building Practices
- Selective Additional Height
- Low Ratio Parking
For more on these priorities, please see the Recommendations Report.
To help ensure that these priorities are implemented in the TOD sites, the Capitol Hill Champion group is working with the community, Sound Transit, and the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD). The Urban Design Framework is a set of recommendations for physical planning issues on the sites that will help implement the community’s desired uses, design features, and programming of the sites. When Sound Transit chooses developers for the TOD sites, the Urban Design Framework will be a key tool in helping choose the best partners and projects that respond to the community’s needs.