North Transfer Station Project (NTS)
Project site for new North Transfer Station
What's New
Design of the new transfer station has begun with the hiring of the CDM Smith team as the project designer, with Mahlum as the architect and HBB Landscape Architecture as the landscape architects. Under the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) contracting approach, a construction manager will also be added to the team shortly to ensure full integration of design and construction. The design team will be integrating the community’s recommendations into the design of the new facility. They will be consulting with key stakeholders and the community at key milestones (pdf) to ensure that SPU’s commitments and stakeholder recommendations are being met through the design. The design phase will wrap up in 2014. Learn more about recent updates.
Project Overview
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) plans to replace the current North Transfer Station with a more modern and efficient facility that will meet the growing future needs of the city.
When the current facility was built over 50 years ago, the city processed all solid waste as garbage, which ended up in landfills.
Today, the city separates solid waste into multiple waste streams, including recyclables and green waste, with multiple end uses in mind. A new North Transfer Station will help us process each type of solid waste more effectively and efficiently than ever before and help us get closer to achieving the City’s zero-waste goal. The new station will also be a good neighbor, with a site that has been designed with the community’s input and will incorporate many features that reduce traffic congestion, noise, odor and other neighborhood effects. Please review the Public Engagement and Communication Plan (pdf) for more extensive details about the project activities and goals.
New Facility Improvements
At the new facility (pdf), customers will find the amenities listed below that improve upon the current services and experiences.
- Better customer safety.The new facility will have flat floors for unloading and sorting. Without an open pit, customers are safer and less at risk of slips and falls.
- More capacity and efficiency.The new facility will have dedicated space to process more recycling than the current operation. Also, residential and commercial haulers will use separate entrances to improve the flow of traffic and safety for different customers.
- Less odor and noise.The new facility will include more covered and enclosed spaces, a better ventilation system, automated rolling access doors, and entrance and exits designed to minimize noise in the neighborhood. These improvements will reduce the odor and noise coming from the new facility.
- Space to create community. East of the new facility, SPU will create an open space (pdf) where community members can spend time and recreate outside together. Amenities will include a play area for children, a sports court, an open play field, walkways, static exercise stations, and art installations.
History of Community Involvement
Early in the planning process, SPU committed to addressing the concerns of the surrounding community about present and future operations at the North Transfer Station. SPU worked very closely with a stakeholder advisory group, community members, station users, and others throughout the planning and conceptual design process to identify and address community concerns, develop a facility that meets all of SPU’s operational needs, and improve the facility’s presence in the neighborhood. Please see the project’s community involvement page for more information about these efforts.
Environmental Studies
SPU has also sought to create the greatest public benefit with the least environmental impact. Please visit the project’s environmental studies page for more information about the efforts SPU took to find this balance.