This new station is a catalyst for growth and equitable density by connecting the Roosevelt neighborhood to Seattle’s growing Link Light Rail system and multi-modal public transportation network.
6501 12th Ave NE
Seattle, WA
Light Rail Station
Sound Transit
GCCM – Under Construction
Estimated Completion Fall 2021
Even before construction was complete, Roosevelt Station has been a catalyst for neighborhood development. Communication with the surrounding community early in the design process revealed strong support for up-zoning the surrounding neighborhood to increase density. The neighborhood is bustling with numerous new construction projects focused on transit oriented development.
This Link Light Rail station will connect the Roosevelt neighborhood to Seattle’s continuously growing multi-modal transportation network. The station entries maximize daylight and openness to provide a welcoming experience for patrons. Connections to neighborhood greenways and green streets provide safe, seamless access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Close collaboration within the design team was critical to addressing the project’s unique challenges, including the platform depth ranging from 65 to 85 feet below grade. Despite this significant depth, providing daylight a primary design goal to enhance the quality of the space and provide natural wayfinding to guide patrons up to the plaza after arriving on the train.
Together, the architects and structural engineers developed an ingenious design that structurally reinforces the station box while maximizing height in the below-grade platform. The east and west walls of the central portion of the underground station are constructed with a series of vertical pilasters. This allows the area to be open from platform to ceiling without being interrupted by horizontal structural members, creating a graciously tall open space and allowing patrons to easily find the vertical circulation elements up to the plaza level.
One of the unique features of the project is the preservation and reuse of elements of the canopy, red and green neon lettering, and storefront from the Standard Radio audio equipment store that served the neighborhood for many years. Standard Radio and its iconic neon sign occupied the site of the station’s south entry, beginning in the 1940’s. With the station being built in its place, the signage and storefront have been restored and incorporated into the station design as a nod to the neighborhood identity and preservation of its history.
Credit: Sound Transit
