April 15, 2014

Another big waterfront project: $268M upgrade of Colman Dock

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Redevelopment is expected to start in the fall of 2016 and be done in 2021.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct and Elliott Bay seawall replacements are under way and a third major Seattle waterfront project is coming: the $268 million redevelopment of Colman Dock.

The state wants to replace parts of the terminal that are old and seismically vulnerable, and address safety concerns for vehicles and foot traffic.

The project involves replacing the main terminal and north trestle ($207 million) as well as the vehicle-transfer span and overhead loading structures on Slip 3 ($48 million), which is one of three state ferry slips at Colman Dock.

Funding will come from federal and state sources, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

King County is also expected to pay for a $13 million upgrade or replacement of the passenger-only water taxi facility on the southern edge of Colman Dock.

Two new retail buildings have been proposed but not funded. One would be along Alaskan Way and the other would connect a new pedestrian entry building to the replacement terminal.

The redevelopment is expected to take until 2021 to complete. Construction is slated to begin in fall 2016.

WSDOT is seeking an engineer of record. Qualifications are due by 4 p.m. April 22, according to a public notice that first ran in the DJC March 11.

An environmental assessment was released Monday by WSDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. A public meeting is set for 4 to 6 p.m. April 28 in the offices of Puget Sound Regional Council at 1011 Western Ave. in Seattle.

Comments about the assessment are due by May 12 to ColmanDockEA@wsdot.wa.gov.

Washington State Ferries, a division of WSDOT, plans to advertise this summer for a general contractor/construction manager. Pre-construction services are scheduled to begin this fall.

The terminal on Pier 52 served 8.5 million riders in 2013, including 4.4 million foot passengers headed to or from Bainbridge Island or Bremerton.

By 2030, ridership is expected to increase by 39 percent for the Seattle-Bainbridge route and 25 percent for the Seattle-Bremerton route.

The northern portion of Colman Dock was built in 1938, according to WSDOT. A portion of the timber dock was rebuilt in 1964 and expanded in 1971, but is still supported by many of the original 1938 timber piles and structural components.

The project would replace the timber portion of the dock, reconfigure the layout and replace the vessel landing aids. The overwater footprint of the finished dock would be 5,200 square feet larger than it is now.

WSDOT says 7,400 tons of creosote-treated timber piles will be removed. Other environmental benefits include better treatment for stormwater runoff, and restoring the shoreline and habitat where the north holding area is now.

The Marion Street pedestrian overpass, which connects the terminal and First Avenue, will be replaced.

A spokesperson for WSDOT said the agency has been working over the last several years with the city of Seattle and King County to coordinate all the projects along the waterfront. Key issues include traffic and transit planning, construction phasing and timing, urban design consistency, and coordinating the seawall work and Colman Dock.