Sound Transit’s December North Link Light Rail Project Update arrived our inbox today, and included a few early goodies for our stockings this holiday season.
First, the Roosevelt neighborhood QFC (6600 Roosevelt Way NE) will NOT be closing in January 2012. Due to changes in design and construction plans, Sound Transit was able to extend QFC’s lease to the end of May 2012.
The Project Update email said “[e]xtending the QFC lease will not affect the North Link project schedule,” and we have an updated construction schedule to look forward to in early 2012.
Second, a few changes in the Roosevelt Station design were revealed at the Sound Transit Board’s Capital Committee meeting on December 8. These “recent refinements” include:
- Reducing the height and footprint of the north and south entrance facilities.
- Expanding the public plazas bordering Northeast 66th Street to create a sense of place and reinforce opportunities for view corridors and the City of Seattle’s ‘”Green Street” program, which gives priority to pedestrian circulation and open space.
- Moving and reducing the height of a vent structure at the south entrance to reduce view conflicts with adjacent condominium windows and balconies.
You can view these changes in the station design presentation to the Capital Committee (6.4 MB PDF).
Check out the changes in the design of the North Entrance (in this composite image we put together this afternoon):
North Entrance Design Comparison. The latest station design reveals a much smaller lobby due to overlap with the escalators/stairs, in exchange for a larger outdoor plaza area facing NE 66th Street. Plans from Sound Transit presentations, borders and dates added by Ravenna Blog.
The 60% Design Review Open House will be held sometime in Spring 2012.
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