Ruth Bayan
Northwest Asia Weekly
The group visited Union Station and entered Fourth Avenue. options. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
After a June 22 walking tour to see firsthand how the Sound Transit (ST) project will impact the Chinatown-International District (CID) as well as businesses and residents, King County Councilman and ST System Expansion Committee member Joe McDermott said, “More research Most importantly, conversations with the community — not speeches, but real conversations — are essential.”
King County Councilman Joe McDermott, Uwashimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi, Sound Transit InterIm CEO Brooke Belman and King County Council President Claudia Balducci on the rooftop of the Publix Hotel. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“Hiking with members of the Moriguchi family and other representatives of local grocery retailer Uwajimaya was very educational and impactful,” said Claudia Balducci, King County Council Chair and ST System Expansion Committee member.
Claudia Balducci of King County Council and Denise Moriguchi of Uwajimaya visit Hood Famous Cafe+Bar with owner Amlag Quibuyen (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“CID is in the middle of the most complex light rail expansion project in ST’s nearly 30-year history — a 12-mile line that will connect West Seattle and the Ballard community,” Balducci said. “The decisions STMicroelectronics makes today will affect generations.”
“Listening to the community is critical to making the right decisions for ST and long-distance high-capacity transportation in the region, but even more so for CID. We have to be mindful of the context of the neighborhood – the exclusion and discrimination that creates it in the first place, and the subsequent impacts over time, including but not limited to detentions, I-5, the construction of the Kingdom, and baseball and soccer fields,” McDermott said.
Uwajimaya Real Estate Manager Miye Moriguchi talks about CID and her family business history. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
The leader of the visit, Uwashimaya’s real estate and facilities manager Miye Moriguchi, explained that there is a large number of senior citizens in the CID.
“The older population is denser, and the lower-income and non-English speaking population is denser,” and they rely on services such as the nearby ICHS and the Bush Hotel.
“They (seniors) rely on walking through the area and public transportation every day,” Moriguchi said, and tearing up the streets for the project will make life difficult for this population.
Inside Union Station (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“The Uwajimaya team supports ST’s mission and believes that everyone should have access to public transportation and regional connectivity,” Uwajimaya president Denise Moriguchi told Northwest Asia Weekly in a statement. “We are eager to be a useful partner in the planning process for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Expansion (WSBLE) system expansion, but believe the impact on CID has not been fully analyzed or mitigated.”
“The hike underscores my understanding of the impact of any alternative to Fifth Avenue,” McDermott said. “There will be a lot of commercial and residential relocation during construction, as well as long-term impacts and redevelopment, which will be associated with many historic people in the vicinity. From Chinatown Gate to big established businesses like Uwashimaya, to the likes of Hood Famous of small and relatively new businesses that have struggled over the past few years, we should be mindful of the compounding impact that Fifth Avenue alignment could have.”
The building likes to demolish the 5th Ave. ST entrance from the corner of S. King St. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“Look at 5th and Jackson, and 4th and Jackson in that area,” Miye Moriguchi said during the tour.
“It’s bad right now…it’s not a great place to walk. How do we turn it into a better space?”
She mentioned the Jackson Street Hub project and various studies to find out the value of people nearby. Of greatest concern is the connectivity between Pioneer Square and CID.
Also visited is Kathryn Johnson in Historic South Downtown.
4th Ave. Entrance at Union Station (Photo courtesy of Historic South Downtown)
Standing on 4th Avenue, Johnson explained, “There will be an entrance on the 5th and everyone will be able to use it. There will be more connections on the other side where people can go underground on the other side of the 4th and this side of the 4th…it It just provides more opportunities (for connections).”
Johnson also said it would reduce costs, reduce traffic disruptions and reduce traffic detours to the CID.
A vision board for what the 4th Ave S station might look like. (Courtesy of Historic South Downtown)
“We felt like this was a real opportunity — we didn’t want to just say 5th was bad. 4th could be great or it could be great! As for activating Union Station, if we don’t do it in a way that people organically walk through it… …it just won’t work.”
Fourth Avenue entrance of Union Station (see photo below) (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“CID is a unique and important place with deep cultural and historical significance that is valued regionally, including the one I represent in East King County,” Balducci said. “I have heard strong opposition to the Fifth Avenue route and some support for the Fourth Avenue route. I have heard many requests for more in-depth research and information. I will take the comments I receive seriously and speak with me at Sound Colleagues at the Transit Board collaborated to guide the next steps in our research options to make the final alignment decision.”
Building like demolition of 5th Ave. ST entrance from corner of S. Jackson St. (Photo by Assunta Ng)
“I suggest that when we do this for the rest of the West Seattle to Ballard route, the Sound Transit Board may not be able to decide on the preferred route in the CID this summer,” McDermott said.
He added: “ST should come to the community, ready to engage in specific conversations about mitigation. What mitigations or even enhancements each alternative might bring to the community? Specific mitigations and enhancements are needed even before the final route is chosen, So that the community can have meaningful conversations about the benefits and impacts of alternatives.”
“The community is our home,” Dennis Moriguchi said in a statement. “We are deeply invested in this community, and we want to help find solutions that minimize harm to CID, its residents and businesses.”
Ruth can be reached by Editor @nwasianweekly.com.
