City briefed on Westlake Park hub plan; civic committee urges safety, cultural authenticity and multimodal design
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Summary
City Office of Economic Development and a civic committee presented guiding principles for a two-block Westlake Park regional transportation hub to coordinate park renovations, monorail updates and Sound Transit station expansion; committee emphasized safety, culture, retail activation and protection of civic gathering uses.
The Office of Economic Development and a civic committee co-chaired by Marie Harida presented a vision framework to the council committee on Feb. 6 for a potential regional transportation hub adjacent to Westlake Park, urging non-prescriptive guiding principles to coordinate several overlapping projects.
"We convened a civic committee and tasked them with recommending a vision concept for that two-block area," said Alyssa T. L., interim director at OED. The two-block area includes Westlake Park and the block to its north; the committee considered park renovations, monorail updates and Sound Transit's planned Westlake Station expansion for the Ballard Link.
Marie Harida, co-chair and Downtown Seattle Association board member, said the committee prioritized safety, cleanliness and a welcoming public realm while also restoring ground-floor retail and supporting small businesses. She said the committee aimed to make the hub culturally authentic, with explicit attention to Coast Salish and other communities whose histories intersect with downtown.
OED and civic committee members emphasized coordinating rather than prescribing design outcomes so the waterfront and other downtown linkages can be respected while enabling a hub that can handle heavy pedestrian flows. The presenters cited an estimated daily throughput of roughly 70,000 people when regional transit improvements are complete and said early park renovations are designed to preserve opportunities for civic gatherings and public advocacy historically associated with Westlake Park.
Councilmembers asked about protecting the park's role for public assembly, ensuring authentic tribal and indigenous representation in art and programming, and how the plan would support small businesses and ground-floor activation. OED said those topics informed committee discussions and will guide subsequent engagement with community and project partners.
What happens next: OED will continue committee engagement, coordinate with Sound Transit and other departments, and refine the resolution and outreach before returning to the council for additional discussion.