September 15, 2014

Open house Tuesday on 130th Link station

Sound Transit image [enlarge]

Sound Transit will hold an open house from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday to show the final design of the 130th Station on the East Link light-rail extension.

The open house is at Highland Community Center, at 14224 Bel-Red Road in Bellevue. The presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.

The station will be one of 10 new stops along the 14-mile route, which will run from the International District/Chinatown stop in Seattle to Overlake Transit Center in Redmond.

The site is between 130th and 132nd avenues Northeast at Northeast 16th Street in Bellevue, a block north of Bel-Red Road.

The station will be at street level, similar to existing stations in the Rainier Valley, and will include a large bicycle plaza, a passenger drop-off and pickup area, and a 300-space park-and-ride lot.

Tiscareno Associates is the architect.

The 130th Station is a half-mile northeast of the 36-acre Spring District, where a major commercial and residential development is planned. For now the area around the 130th Station site is dominated by low-rise office and light-industrial buildings.

The city wants to see those blocks eventually redeveloped into a walkable neighborhood with open space, multifamily housing and restaurants centered around the station. Goff Creek would be restored, and there would be trails linking parks and plazas.

Construction of East Link is slated to begin next year. The line should open by 2023.