Sound Transit opens first transit-oriented development project

June 11, 2010

Summary

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Sound Transit marked the opening of its first transit-oriented development project during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 11^th at the Korean Women’s Association’s Senior City housing project. The mixed-use facility, located at the Federal Way Transit Center, provides rental housing for 61 low-income residents, a residential unit for an onsite manager, and 3,125 square feet of office space for the organization.

Sound Transit sold the land on which the facility was built three years ago to KWA through a competitive application process. It also granted KWA $20,000 in pre-development monies to assist in securing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the King County Housing Program, the City of Federal Way Community Development Block Grant Program, and other agencies to design and construct the $18 million facility.

“The Korean Women’s Association’s Senior City represents the ideal in TOD partnerships,” said Sound Transit board member and King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer. “Throughout the project’s development, Sound Transit staff advised KWA contractors in the design of an attractive, accessible, eco-friendly facility that will serve as an outstanding model for future TOD projects. We value our collaboration with the KWA and look forward to serving its residents, clients and staff for years to come.”

Transit-oriented development projects, or TODs, support transit use by emphasizing pedestrian and transit access to mixed-use development clustered at and around transit stations. By increasing ridership, TODs generate revenue for the system, and project costs are shared with development partners. TODs also lead to vibrant, sustainable communities by improving mobility and decreasing dependence on cars and other vehicles, and aid economic development while preserving open space, natural resources and the environment.

Sound Transit’s policy to link land use with transit planning, design and implementation dates back to 1996, when the agency adopted the Sound Move Regional Transit System Plan. The agency’s commitment to TOD was reiterated when voters approved Sound Transit 2 in 2008.

Sound Transit’s collaboration with the Korean Women’s Association is the first in a series of planned TOD projects. The duo-tone, concrete and corrugated metal structure was designed to complement the Federal Way Transit Center, and is in accordance with Enterprise Communities Green Communities criteria and the State of Washington Evergreen Standard.