Transportation committee backs conceptual approval for below‑grade pedestrian tunnel and thermal exchange under Boren Avenue

The Seattle City Council Transportation Committee on Jan. 21 recommended adoption of two related resolutions granting conceptual approval for a below‑grade pedestrian tunnel and a below‑grade thermal energy exchange under Boren Avenue North as part of the proposed 121 Boren Avenue North development in South Lake Union.

The committee vote was 5–0 in favor of recommending adoption of Resolution 32158 (pedestrian tunnel) and Resolution 32159 (thermal energy exchange); both recommendations will be forwarded to the full Council for consideration at its Jan. 28 meeting.

The resolutions provide conceptual approval only, allowing the project to advance to 100% design. Amy Gray of the Seattle Department of Transportation, who briefed the committee, said the pedestrian tunnel would “connect the residential, hotel, office and other logistical uses between the new building at 121 Boren” and the adjacent Onni building, while the thermal exchange would “share energy between all of them, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.” Gray told the committee the City Council previously approved a related connection by Ordinance 126135 in 2020.

Committee members framed the items as straightforward steps toward permitting and building efficiency. Council member Gerald Strauss said he was “excited to see them moving forward,” noting the logic of centralizing heating and cooling systems and providing internal access between buildings. Council member Bob Kettle, whose district includes parts of the waterfront, called the permits “important” for making buildings smarter and more energy efficient.

The committee record shows the items were presented together; Gray said SDOT will present implementing ordinances later in 2025 that will set permit terms and conditions.

What the approvals do and what comes next: the resolutions grant the city’s conceptual permission for the two below‑grade systems and allow the developers and SDOT to proceed to final design. Ordinances laying out the detailed permit conditions and any required public benefits or mitigation measures will return to Council later in 2025 for final authorization.

The resolutions reference prior Council action for a similar subsurface connection and therefore do not create the final permit conditions on their own. The committee’s action was limited to recommending that the full Council adopt the conceptual approvals; final legal terms will be set by ordinance if and when Council votes on those later items.

Votes at a glance: the committee recorded five members present and the roll call on each recommendation returned five votes in favor and zero opposed; the recommendations were transmitted to the Jan. 28, 2025 City Council meeting for final action.

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Sources: Committee briefing by Amy Gray, Seattle Department of Transportation; roll‑call recorded at the Transportation Committee meeting, Jan. 21, 2025.