Welcome back to New Day Northwest.
You know if you haven't checked
out the view from the Seattle
waterfront over by Alaskan Way lately,
there's a lot going on,
so we thought an update on
the progress was in order.
Since it's been a couple years since
we've talked about it on this show.
So Angela Brady, director of
the Waterfront Seattle Project,
is joining me in studio.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you so much for having me.
We are delighted and we are
delighted to see the incredible,
beautiful progress on the asking way.
But before we get started,
let's talk about how this
whole project began.
Yeah, well, really, it all began.
Back in 2001, or Seattle had
a big earthquake back then.
Then a Squali earthquake and
even before the earthquake,
the city and the state had
been talking about our aging
infrastructure along the waterfront,
namely the seawall in LA based seawall,
which forms the foundation for the
waterfront and the Alaska Way Viaduct,
which, you know had been built in the 1950s.
And we all knew had to be replaced.
So you know, a decision was finally
made that was a set of studies.
A decision was made in 2009.
Governor Christine Greg Greg,
where at the time signed an agreement.
Said, we're gonna go forth with a
tunnel option and that really set
forth a whole set of, you know,
tons of construction happening
on the waterfront ever since.
Really,
it's been insane. I remember when
the tunnel was finally opened and
we're just so happy to see it now.
Actually, I think we have an aerial view
of the the waterfront before and after,
so this is obviously with the viaduct,
which was amazing.
But actually we had a camera
trained on it and no one could
move it at the TV station. Yeah,
because just in case something happened.
Ohh really, that's how concerned we were,
but let's take a look at the future.
So tell us what we're looking
at. So this is the future of Alaskan way.
And and essentially what we're doing
here is we're building a new Alaskan way
within the footprint of the old viaduct.
So shifting that road as Far East
as we possibly can, and that is,
is opening up the door for us to
build a brand new waterfront park.
A long linear park promenade
along the waters edge.
So that's that's really the
goal of our project, and we.
We just had a really big new milestone
where we're constructing it.
We were able to get the new road open.
Yes, King Street all the way
up to Union Street.
We have a we have some pictures of that
as well, so I was very excited when
I saw that that was the impetus for
this interview we're having right now.
I called everyone on the phone, I said,
Oh my gosh, Alaskan away is open.
So look, tell us what we're looking at.
So what you're looking at here in
the blue so that represents the new
Alaskan way lanes which are open today.
As you just noted.
And then what you're seeing
in the orange is really so.
We now have the ability to shift
our focus on construction to the
new Park promenade so that entire
all the existing lanes that were
the old lanes of the Alaskan
way are now under construction.
And what's really exciting here is
that you can actually see the scale
of the of the new park we're building.
OK, that's pretty cool to see,
so if we're looking and we see
where the lanes used to be,
that's going to be the park.
Let's talk about Pier 62,
so pure 62 is the area that is where
they have the music now, right?
Just north of that, so that pier
is just north of the aquarium.
OK, it's a great big open pier.
We were able to actually start
construction of that pier
before the verdict came down,
which is really exciting for us.
We actually opened that
peer in September 2020,
which was kind of an interesting time.
It was
actually a part time to do it though,
because I remember taking pictures
of my kids there in 2020.
Yeah, a beautiful sunset. I love it.
Alright, the Overlook Walk is that
that's going to be near Pier 62, right?
The Overlook walk?
Yeah, it's pretty much adjacent to Pier.
62 I think you're seeing a photo here
of the of the construction zone.
Right now. You see,
Pier 62 on the left there.
And really, what the Overlook walk
structure is one of the most exciting
parts of our program at that.
It's it's a bridge structure that will
span from Pike Place Market over the
new road and then with a set of stairs
and elevators down to the new waterfront.
And I think the the coolest thing about
the Overlook Walk is just that it creates
this elevated view of Elliott Bay.
And it's just gonna be a
gorgeous landscaped and it.
And part of that project is
really we're actually working
with the Seattle Aquarium.
They have an expansion of their facilities.
So excited for that too.
I know they are Pier 58,
which is kind of right.
Next door between the aquarium
and then all the shops and the
the great wheel. Yes Mm-hmm
great wheel and this is what
it's going to look like. Yeah,
so pier 58? Another wide open space
over water, a gorgeous new pier.
We have a children's playground planned.
This peer with an 18 foot Jelly tall
jellyfish that you can climb a tree
Grove or bring in a fountain out there.
It's gonna be just a fabulous new space.
We're running out of time and I hate this
because there's so much to talk about,
but I really want to quickly ask
you about the Marion St Bridge
and the Union Street Bridge.
I took one of them from the ferry dock
and it's so neat how it just kind of
takes you through the the the buildings.
Yeah, I think right now we have
a temporary bridge spanning,
you know, connecting the city
down to down to the State Fair is.
That's a temporary bridge,
so we're building a brand new.
Bridge from First Ave over to Coleman Dock.
Coleman Dock has been under construction
for many many years as well.
You may have noticed that so that
project just started and we hope
to open that sometime next summer.
I am so excited. Thank you so much.
I feel like we really didn't get enough
time to talk about everything fully,
but hopefully you can come
back and update us again.
I'd be I'd be delighted to do.
And you know what?
Big kudos to all the workers
out there have been working so
hard on this project and we're
slow down for the cone zone.