Last week, Mayor Tim Burgess, King County Executive Dow Constantine and representatives from the Community Package Coalition (CPC) and Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) announced an agreement on terms for WSCC to provide a benefits package worth more than $82 million for the community.
The “suite of benefits” includes:
- $29 million for affordable housing
- $10 million for Freeway Park improvements
- $10 million for Pike-Pine bicycle improvements
- $10 million for Pike-Pine Renaissance pedestrian improvements
- $8.1 million for on-site features (publicly accessible sites at WSCC addition)
- $6 million for 8th Avenue bicycle improvements
- $4 million for Terry Avenue Promenade
- $1.9 million for public art
- $1.5 million for a study on lidding Interstate 5
- $1 million for historic building lighting
- $600,000 for 9th Avenue pedestrian improvements
- $500,000 for Olive Way pedestrian improvements
- $200,000 for improvements to Olive Way
There were 10 months of talks between WSCC, the city and the Community Package Coalition before the agreement was reached. The CPC includes Capitol Hill Housing, Cascade Bicycle Club, Central Seattle Greenways, First Hill Improvement Association, Housing Development Consortium, Freeway Park Association, Lid I-5 and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.
The agreement moves the WSCC addition project along although it still needs to go through the Seattle Design Commission and Seattle City Council. Mayor Tim Burgess expects legislation to be sent to the council in January. Should everything run smoothly, construction is expected to start in 2018 with an estimated opening date of 2021.
The $1.6 billion project features an 11-story facility with underground parking for 742 vehicles; 250,000 square feet of exhibition space; 120,000 square feet of meeting rooms; a 60,000 square foot ballroom; and a 150,000 square foot underground exhibition hall and 20 loading bays. It will be located one block northeast of the existing facility; Bound by Olive Way, Pine Street, 9th Avenue and Boren Avenue. In total, the WSCC addition will add about 1.5 million square feet, essentially doubling the current capacity.
Pine Street Group is managing the WSCC addition. They are also planning two related projects on adjacent properties owned by WSCC; including a 29-story, 385-unit residential tower; and a 16-story, 530,000 square foot office tower. The two projects will sit above the convention center’s below-grade loading docks and rise over street-level podiums with retail space.
The WSCC addition team includes LMN Architects; Clark Construction of Maryland and Lease Crutcher Lewis, general contractors.