- Careful now, that’s the neighborhood abyss!
SATURDAY: The Capitol Hill light rail station won’t be open until 2016—for now it’s just a 75-foot abyss shrouded in red walls—but the Department of Planning and Development doesn’t want you to get too cozy with that giant hole in the ground. They’re hosting a community open house AT SCCC tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss the building plan for what will replace that absurdly beautiful red wall, while celebrating how neat newly-minted mass transit will be (you’ll get to Beacon Hill in a flash you guys!). Bring your own champagne! Transit-loving overachievers can read the building plan, thrillingly titled the Urban Design Framework, in advance here. (Seattle Central Community College Atrium, 1701 Broadway.)
Uhhh technically it would be faster to drive to Beacon Hill than it would be to take the light rail. Beacon Hill is just a straight shot drive off Boren Ave, which is 5 blocks from that station, vs the Family Circus Billy Adventure walk down the Hill to DT Tunnels, through SODO, to the Becaon Hill tunnel station.
I personally cannot wait until the Husky Stadium station is done, because leaving a game on the bus is a bit of a wait, packed in like sardines (bus wont leave until its packed) and takes a while to get to First Hill. Id love to hop into a light rail car, get out at Broadway, then get a victory cheeseburger at Dicks Drive In. With the skywalk going over the main road, they wont need as many (if any) traffic cops for the game.
The draft design framework is shite! 40′, 65′ and two 85′ buildings!? This is prime real estate, the center of the neighborhood and the demand for apartments is only going to increase. It should be 65-75′ all around and even more within a block radius of the station. But hey “farmer’s market”!