>>
>> Reporter: BY JUNE, THE VISION THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN WAITING FOR WILL FINALLY
BECOME A REALITY. AN OPEN
WATERFRONT, KIND OF LIKE IT
USED TO BE.
THIS IS WHAT SEATTLE'S
WATERFRONT LOOK LIKE DECADES
BEFORE THE VIADUCT. ALASKAN
WAY, A VERY WIDE ROAD AND AS WE
LOOK BACK IN TIME, DO WE GET A
GLIMPSE OF OUR
SHE
SHE HAS
SHE HAS LIVED IN LOTS OF PLACES, HISTORIC CITIES,
INCLUDING WASHINGTON DC,
CHICAGO, AND SAN FRANCISCO.
IT'S THAT LAST CITY WHICH LENDS
ITSELF MOST TO A SEATTLE
COMPARISON.
COMPARISON. >> I CAME HERE AND LACED UP MY
RUNNING SHOES AND HEADED OUT
ALONG THE SIDEWALK AND NOT, --.
THOUGHT WHY IS THIS IN SEATTLE?
>> Reporter: OUR QUAKE WASN'T
AS BAD AS THE 1989 EARTHQUAKE
WHICH BROUGHT DOWN THE I 880
FREEWAY IN OAKLAND AND DEBT
DOUGH SHEET LED TO THE TEARING
DOWN OF A NOVEL -- ANOTHER
DOUBLE-DECKER HIGHWAY.
DOUBLE-DECKER HIGHWAY. >> IN 1900, THIS WAS A WORKING
WATERFRONT.
WATERFRONT. NO PART OF SEATTLE BETTER
EPITOMIZES A CHANGING SEATTLE
THAN THE WATERFRONT.>>
Reporter: TODAY THAT SAME
WATERFRONT IN MANY CASES, EVEN
WITH MOST OF THE SAME
BUILDINGS.
BUILDINGS. IS BUSTLED, YET HANGING OVER IT
ALL IS THAT GRAY NOISY WALL.
RACHEL WILLIAMS ARE CANADIANS
THAT HAD A GIVEAWAY, WE FOUND
THEM AT THE HEIGHT OF THE
SUMMER TOURIST SEASON AS THEY
AND OTHERS CAME DOWN FOR THE
BIG BASEBALL SERIES BETWEEN THE
MARINERS AND THE BLUE JAYS.
PSYCHOLOGY MATTERS. THE
WATERFRONT SEEMS TO MATTER EVEN
MORE.
MORE.
MORE. LIKE THE GREAT WALL, IT IS
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. YOU CAN WALK UNDER IT, PARK
UNDERNEATH IT, YOU CAN NEVER
SIMPLY IGNORE IT.
>> I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD
STOP US FROM COMING BUT IF
THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT
LOOKED BETTER AND WAS AS
EFFICIENT, THEN SURELY THAT
WOULD BE A NICE THING.
>> Reporter: WHY DID WE EVER
WANT TO BUILD IT?
WAS THIS CONSIDERED ATTRACTIVE?
>> IT WAS CONSIDERED PROGRESSIVE
, IT WAS CONSIDERED SOMETHING
THAT WAS A SIGN THAT SEATTLE
WAS GROWING.
WAS GROWING. >> Reporter: IN THE YEARS
FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II,
AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
RETURNING TO THE HOME FRONT
FOUND A DIFFERENT AMERICA THAN
WHAT THEY LEFT. THE GREAT
DEPRESSION HAD GIVEN WAY TO
POSTWAR OPTIMISM WHERE IT
SEEMED EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD A
CAR AND THE FREEDOM TO DRIVE
WHEREVER THEY WISHED.
>> THE IDEA OF PRESERVING
SOMETHING AND PRESERVING
NATURAL THE BEAUTY AND VIEWS
WAS JUST NOT IN THE FRAMEWORK
OF THESE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNERS, THEY WERE THINKING
ABOUT MOBILITY AND EFFICIENCY
AND THAT HIGHWAYS WHERE THE WAY
OF THE FUTURE.
>> Reporter: NOW WE ARE HIDING
THAT HIGHWAY UNDERGROUND IN A
TUNNEL.
TUNNEL.
TUNNEL. THE WATERFRONT PROMISING TO BE
A DIFFERENT PLACE, BACK OPEN
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES
AROUND THE WORLD THAT HAVE TORN
DOWN THOSE BARRIERS WHAT
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. YOU SUDDENLY HAVE THIS BLANK
REAL ESTATE THAT IN MANY CASES
IS VERY DESIRABLE.
>> Reporter: IT IS A TOURISM
ECONOMY NOW THAT HOLDS A LOT OF
PROMISE.
PROMISE.
PROMISE. >> THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A
WORKING WATERFRONT IN THE WAY
THAT IT WAS.>> Reporter: I WAS
TOLD LAST WEEK THAT BUSINESS
EVEN WITH THE DIET -- VIADUCT
HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND WITH
THE VIADUCT GONE IT IS EXPECTED
TO DOUBLE OR EVEN TRIPLE.
>> THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE'VE ALL SHOT STORIES ON THE
WATERFRONT UNDER THE VIADUCT,
IT'S DIRTY AND IT'S NOISY.
HOW MUCH OF A NOISE DIFFERENCE
WILL WE SEE BETWEEN WHAT WE
HAVE NOW AND THE NEW TUNNEL?>>
Reporter: WE FOUND AN APP AND
WE PULLED IT OUT THE OTHER DAY
AND WE ARE COMING DOWN 80 DB.
ALL OF THAT WILL GO.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE
CRICKETS, BUT IT WILL BE A LOT