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Sound Transit University Link Capitol Hill Station

Transit-Oriented Development Community ForumFebruary 23, 2010

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Forum Agenda

6:00 pm Open House

6:15 pm Presentation – Michelle Ginder, ST

- 2009 Outreach Summary

- Next Steps/Moving Forward

- Q & A

7:15 pm Return to Open House

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• 3.15-mile extension of Initial Segment and Airport Link– Capitol Hill Station– UW Station

• Schedule– Design: complete– Construction: 6.5 years– System testing: 6 months– Open for service: 2016

• Adds 70,000 daily riders, 114,000 riders systemwide

University Link

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Capitol Hill Station

• Underground station, 3 entrances

• Construction staging area - station and tunnel excavation at site

• Ridership: 20,000 daily boardings

• Travel time: – 3 minutes to downtown

Seattle (University St.)

– 3 minutes to UW Station

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Capitol Hill Transit Oriented Development Sites

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TOD Outreach Process

• Community Stakeholder Group• Sound Transit quarterly community forums:

March 25, 2009• TOD work program• Community uses

June 24, 2009• Housing • Retail

October 27, 2009

• Nagle Extension design • Broadway Farmers Market• Parking

February 23, 2010• 2009 Outreach Summary• Moving Forward

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Community Uses – March 2009 Forum

• Understand community priorities for potential TOD community space

– Broadway Farmers Market (Chris Curtis, NFMA)– Arts and Performance Space (Michael Siewerath, CODAC)– Community Meeting Space (Justin Carder, CH Community

Council)

• Acknowledge not all desired community uses can be accommodated in TOD sites

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Community UsesWhat Sound Transit heard:• Desire for more community space• How to balance community desires with ST

financial/business limitations• Sound Transit should be bold and creative in requiring

developers to create community space

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Housing and Retail – June 2009 Forum• Understand community priorities

– Speakers• Artist Live/Work Housing (Cathryn Vandenbrink, Artspace)

• Senior Housing (Lua Pritchard, Korean Women’s Association)

• Broadway Retail Study (Jack Hilovsky, CH Chamber)

• Retail Opportunities (Richard Muhlebach, Retail Consultant)

• Broadway Retail Developments (Jennifer Severson, Real Retail)

– Small group discussions

• Survey on housing and retail priorities – 93 responses

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Housing

• Forum and survey: broad mix of housing needed on Capitol Hill - mix of affordable and market rate housing will bring necessary balance of diversity and sustainability

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Housing

What Sound Transit heard:• Need for some affordable housing, but also need

for a mix of different types of housing– Mixed income levels in housing maintains diversity– Market rate housing helps keep neighborhood

sustainable– Workforce housing needed to reduce commutes and

allow people to live and work in their neighborhood

• Broad range of opinions about definition of affordable housing

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Retail

• Forum and survey: Need for mix of local, independent and national anchor retailers that serve local neighborhood and residents but also attract regional shoppers to area

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Retail

What Sound Transit heard:• People desire options not currently available including

hardware/garden, bakeries/specialty food, home furnishings, etc.

• Residents should be able to meet basic day to day retail needs in neighborhood

• Restaurants, coffee shops and specialty foods creates buzz and brings people to Capitol Hill

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Nagle Extension – October 2009 Forum

• Provides station maintenance and operations access• Provides delivery vehicle and underground parking

access for TOD Site A

Nagle Extension

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Nagle Extension

What Sound Transit heard:• Strong support for Farmers Market• Support for other community activities at Nagle Extension • Consideration of pedestrian/auto interaction• Consideration of building height

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Farmers Market Sound Transit Staff Preliminary Conclusions• Sound Transit supports use of Nagle Extension for long-

term Broadway Farmers Market home– Does not compromise station requirements or TOD project plans– Market’s requirements appear to be “doable” at minimal design or

construction costs– Market would attract additional ridership to station– Market would increase appeal of adjacent TOD sites (retail and

housing) and further activate area– Consistent with Sound Transit

sustainability goals and supports Market’s sustainability mission

– Strong public support

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Parking at TOD Sites – October 2009 Forum

• Sound Transit to limit total parking inventory • No commuter or commercial public parking • Limited underground parking for site tenants/customers• Parking amount & configuration determined through

developer proposal and design process• Sound Transit to encourage/require alternatives to reduce

car parking– Shared parking– Zip car– Shopper/resident financial incentives– Transit info– Bicycle parking

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Parking

What Sound Transit heard:• Support for limited parking• Consider also: bike sharing, motorcycle parking• Unbundle parking costs from residential and merchant

rental costs• More parking management needed on Capitol Hill for

existing parking supply• Consider impact of parking on pedestrian environment

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Chamber Stakeholder TOD Charrette

• September 2009 - community design charrette on Capitol Hill TOD – CH Chamber consultant (Schemata Workshop and Makers)

• Summary of Community Goals for TOD– Development projects of highest quality– Permanent home for Farmers Market– Affordable housing and business space– Cultural center and community spaces– A gateway and neighborhood wayfinding– Environmentally responsible

building practices– Low ratio parking

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CH Chamber Stakeholder TOD Report

• Development Guidelines and Urban Design Recommendations Report

– Influence ST TOD– Supplement and clarify existing land use plans– Guide future neighborhood planning efforts

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What We Know

• Summary Report• Community issues Sound Transit plans to

implement/require in TOD:– Farmers Market – Limited parking – Some affordable housing

• Selected developer plans will determine :– Actual retail and housing type and size– Potential for community space– Building design and construction elements – Other elements based on market at time of RFQ/RFP

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Other ST TOD projects

• TOD at Federal Way Transit Center (Korean Women’s Association)

• Firestone property at Mount Baker Light Rail Station – Evaluation criteria include:

• Green building standards

• Community meeting space

• Bike parking, Zipcar

• Reduced auto parking

• Other Sound Transit TOD projects will bring experience helpful to future Capitol Hill TOD

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Capitol Hill TOD Sites Next Steps(2010-2011)

• Review CH Chamber TOD Recommendations Report• Continue internal technical review of TOD and design issues• Advance Nagle Extension design and Farmers Market

concept• Meet with community stakeholders as needed

• Address public policy review – Community/City actions regarding zoning, design

guidelines, etc

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RFQ/RFP Process (2012-2013)

• Request for Qualifications / Request for Proposals– 2 stage process to select TOD developers – Results of community feedback provided to developers– ST will identify requirements and preferred design

recommendations, with associated evaluation criteria – Developers required to pay fair market value but will be

encouraged to think creatively to achieve goals– Details of RFQ/RFP to be determined

• Phasing strategy

• Number of RFPs

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TOD Site Development (2014 – 2016+)

• Developer community design review process• Permitting • Construction• First TOD open at or after station opening in 2016

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How to Stay Informed

• Sound Transit Capitol Hill TOD websitewww.soundtransit.org/CapitolHillTOD

• Monthly electronic newsletters www.soundtransit.org/subscribe

• ST project and outreach staff contacts Capitol Hill Station/TOD lead - Michelle Ginder,

michelle.ginder@soundtransit.org Construction – Rhonda Dixon, Community Outreach

Coordinator, rhonda.dixon@soundtransit.org

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Questions? Comments?

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TOD Work Program Schedule