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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Marks New Era for Historic King Street Station
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/5/2008 10:55:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor Marks New Era for Historic King Street Station
Landmark structure will be restored to serve as transportation hub
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today marked the start of a new era for King Street Station with the purchase of the landmark building from the BNSF Railway Company.
Under city ownership, King Street Station is set to undergo a $30.5 million renovation that will restore its historic grandeur while transforming the 102-year-old railroad station into a modern transit hub serving Seattle for the century to come.
“During its heyday, King Street Station was Seattle’s ‘front door,’ welcoming countless residents, visitors and even presidents,” said Mayor Nickels. “We are saving an important part of Seattle’s soul. By restoring the station’s faded beauty and bringing together long distance rail, commuter rail, and intercity buses, we are connecting our transportation past with our transportation future.”
The station will serve as one of three intermodal transportation hubs in downtown Seattle, alongside the Westlake Hub and the Coleman Ferry Dock. Providing transportation connections for the southern portion of the city, King Street Station will feature Amtrak long distance rail, Sound Transit commuter rail, and Amtrak intercity buses, along with convenient access to Light Rail and Metro buses.
Renovations will be funded by contributions from the city, the state and the federal government. The voter approved Bridging the Gap levy will provide $10 million and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will offer $16.5 million in state and federal funds. This support will allow the city to replace the roof, repair the clock tower lights, remove the microwave tower, restore the terminal’s first floor and upgrade for seismic safety. Renovation work by the Seattle Department of Transportation on the station will begin in the summer of 2008. WSDOT has already restored the entryway foyer and waiting area restrooms, and purchased new exterior awnings at the cost of $4 million.
The mayor led a rare, behind-the-scene’s tour of the station this morning, pointing out many of the stunning architectural features that will be brought back to life under the renovations, including the 45-foot high molded plaster ceilings in the main waiting room and the station’s grand staircase. The tour concluded at the top of the dramatic clock tower, where the mayor joined a long tradition by signing his name to a girder.
King Street Station first opened to the public in May 1906. Reed and Stem, the architectural firm responsible for New York City’s historic Grand Central Terminal, designed the station. The San Marco bell tower of Venice, Italy, served as the model for the building’s familiar clock tower. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm.
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Office of the Mayor
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