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