Sound Transit broke ground on its Capitol Hill Station Development, a transit-oriented, mixed-income and mixed-use development project that will surround the Capitol Hill light rail station when it opens in 2020.

The event marked the start of construction of a long-awaited transit-oriented development (TOD) project designed to transform the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Located atop the new Capitol Hill Light Rail Station, the four-building development will provide 428 apartments, 178 of which will be affordable, 210 underground parking spaces, a community room available for public use, and approximately 30,000 square feet of ground floor retail. A centerpiece public plaza will serve as the home of Capitol Hill Neighborhood Farmers Market and a venue for other community events.

Gerding Edlen was selected by Sound Transit as the Master Developer for all four sites through a competitive process. The Capitol Hill Station Development is a Federal Transit Administration joint development project.

In April, the Sound Transit Board adopted an updated policy for equitable transit oriented development (TOD). The policy guides the use of property that remains as surplus after voter-approved transit investments are complete for projects that provide housing for families of various sizes and income levels and increase access to social and economic opportunities. Consistent with regional growth plans, the updated policy focuses urban growth at transit centers and commits Sound Transit to work with local communities and stakeholders to develop projects on surplus property, while also encouraging TOD in nearby areas.