Transformational Projects

Seattle Convention Center

Built to meet the growing demand for event and meeting space, the stunning new Seattle Convention Center Summit building nearly doubles the center’s size, adding 573,770 square feet of space. More conventions mean millions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs in supporting industries, including hotels, restaurants, museums and performing arts venues.

The center opened to the public in January 2023, and together with the nearby Arch building, the 1.5 million-square-foot campus is set to welcome a new era of business and cultural connections in the Northwest’s busiest urban center.

Pike Pine Renaissance

In February 2023, local leaders broke ground on a new $40 million initiative to create an inviting, pedestrian-friendly corridor from the waterfront to Capitol Hill. The Pike Pine Renaissance project is the culmination of years of planning and coordination spearheaded by DSA and partners. When completed, designers envision a vibrant, active and safe pedestrian experience with connections to the new central waterfront.
Pre-pandemic, private investment spurred improvements in lighting, facade renovation and new business recruitment. Now, the city of Seattle and DSA are leveraging these investments with the design and construction of high-quality improvements. Pedestrians can look forward to crosswalk and sidewalk improvements, more greenery, protected bike lanes and new public seating — all with a more consistent look and character from end to end.

ST3

Over the past year, Sound Transit continued work on the largest transit expansion in the country. Construction on light rail extensions will connect downtown to neighboring Lynnwood, Federal Way and Bellevue with 20 new stations, making downtown easy to reach any time of day. When completed in 2024, trains will make the trip from Lynnwood to downtown in just 28 minutes, saving 10 minutes over the average rush-hour trip by car. Construction challenges have pushed the opening of the line to Bellevue back to 2025.

DSA has shaped the locations of Sound Transit’s six new light rail stations that will serve downtown along the West Seattle to Ballard line. The line will run in a new tunnel connecting the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, the retail core, South Lake Union and Uptown. The preferred alignment will be decided by the Sound Transit board in spring 2023.

Seattle Waterfront

Demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct created a once-in-lifetime opportunity to reimagine our city’s “front porch,” and today downtown’s connection to the waterfront is the strongest it’s been in generations. Foot traffic in the area quickly bounced back from pandemic lows and continues to strengthen.

Improved access complements a suite of major improvements completed or in the works along the waterfront. The rebuilt seawall created a new habitat for sea life while stabilizing the shoreline. The upgrade of Colman Dock ensures safe, reliable service between Seattle and communities around Puget Sound. New parks are in the works, and a promenade connecting Pike Place Market’s new MarketFront to the aquarium will ease pedestrian movement from downtown to the waterfront.

These significant investments in the public sphere ensure locals and visitors can enjoy an exceptional experience on the country’s best stretch of urban shoreline for decades to come.