Freeway Park currently covers part of I-5. Image Credit: Nmnmnm112211 (CC by SA-4.0).
Currently, Interstate-5 acts as a foreboding barrier running through downtown, both for pedestrian traffic and business expansion. While the roadway is already capped in part by Freeway Park, a far more ambitious lidding project may be on the horizon. The group LID I-5 has long pushed for such a development, and last year $1.5 million in funding was promised as part of the agreement with the developer of the Washington State Convention Center Addition. The city acquired the promised sum last month, meaning that the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) can finally move forward in researching the possibility of a capped I-5.
An advisory council was announced last Thursday, and will include local experts in the fields of parks, transportation, construction and business, as well as Leslie Koch, the woman behind the redevelopment of New York’s Governor’s Island. Neighborhood organization reps and former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels are also part of the team. The study is expected to last through the 2019 year. The eventual project, if approved, is expected to include both green space and retail developments.
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