Overview

The time is now, and an expanded light rail system is coming to Chinatown International District and Pioneer Square. King County is creating a master plan for significant changes to their downtown campus, and the City of Seattle is working on multiple planning efforts to help guide future growth in Seattle. The time to support beloved communities is now, as well as identify ways to ensure strength and continuity ahead of the changes that will come.

This effort is collaborative. The development of the vision for the South Downtown Hub is built on past community planning efforts and supported by the City of Seattle, King County, and Sound Transit, who are all working in partnership with the community members to realize visions put forward by the community neighborhoods.

This place is critical. The South Downtown study goes beyond the Ballard Link Extension (BLE) station areas that serve the CID and Pioneer Square neighborhoods. It is a comprehensive approach to the area, connecting and supporting the history and strength of the people and businesses that make these neighborhoods special.

The community is key. This is the opportunity for you to shape the future. This work serves the community first and will only be successful in co-creation with our communities. With regional connections expanding, this area will change. The ideas and opportunities to protect, support, and grow the legacy that these communities hold will come best from within. The workshop series described below is the opportunity to leverage those ideas for better planning across the multiple agencies doing the work.

Background

The idea of a South Downtown Hub plan emerged from Sound Transit’s Further Studies work for the Ballard Link Extension Project in late 2022 into early 2023, during which the Chinatown-International District (CID) and Pioneer Square communities shared ideas and opportunities to improve the South Downtown area. In March 2023, the Sound Transit Board identified a preferred alternative in the CID, which includes a station north and a station south of the CID. The Board also responded to the community’s South Downtown area feedback by giving Sound Transit direction to work with the City of Seattle, King County, and other potential partners. This group, in partnership with the community, will further develop South Downtown improvement ideas and explore funding and partnership opportunities.

Sound Transit, with the City of Seattle and King County, continues to partner with the community through a workshop series and additional engagement opportunities that look at South Downtown cohesively. The series will support the visioning and prioritization of potential investments to streets and public spaces that help connect neighborhoods and regional transit modes, as well as explore opportunities to activate historic buildings and guide new development with community-serving uses. This work goes beyond station locations and takes a comprehensive look at the neighborhoods and how they connect.

Ideas, concepts, and priorities shared at workshops will be compiled into a final plan. The plan will also outline specific project implementation strategies for Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, King County, and potentially other project partners.

Project partners

Sound Transit, in partnership with the City of Seattle and King County, is partnering with the community around the South Downtown Hub planning efforts. What role does each agency play in this work?

Sound Transit

• Routes and station locations
• Light rail and commuter rail guideway and station design
• Environmental review
• Transit-oriented development associated with station construction

City of Seattle

• Community planning and station access
• Land use and zoning
• Street and right-of-way use

King County

• Metro transit service
• Route Planning
• Civic Campus operations and future planning

South Downtown Hub planning kickoff

On Nov. 15, 2023, Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, and King County hosted an open house to kick off upcoming engagement opportunities in the Chinatown-International District. More than 150 people attended the event, staffed by Sound Transit, partner agencies, consultants, Community Liaisons, and Cantonese, and Mandarin language interpreters.

Attendees were invited to learn about the South Downtown Hub planning work, a partnership with Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, and King County. This open house kicked off a workshop series to partner with community members to envision and identify potential improvement projects in the South Downtown area. Attendees had the opportunity to share feedback about community values and priorities as well as placemaking and place-keeping ideas in the Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods.

Key findings and outcomes

• Interest in learning about the planning and design process for the light rail stations
• Opportunities for affordable housing and commercial development in the neighborhood
• Opportunities in improving walkability in the neighborhood including greater pedestrian access and connections
• General Agreement on community themes and project goals
• Interest in intentional design for safety at stations, on roads, and in public spaces
• Interest in learning about access and transfers to the light rail and exploring opportunities to better integrate transit

Open house materials

• Open house packet