By Jim O’Halloran, former President of the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) refers to the utilization of real estate surrounding mass transit sites, such as the Roosevelt light rail station now under construction in our neighborhood.
What will become of the old QFC grocery store site which is now used for construction staging? Sound Transit purchased several parcels of land which are currently enclosed by a green wooden wall. By 2021 when the station opens, the construction walls will come down, two station entrances will be built along 12th Avenue NE, and the remaining property will be available for redevelopment.
To determine the ultimate usage of these properties, Sound Transit and the City of Seattle intend to engage the Roosevelt neighborhood to discuss our needs and interests. Other factors will also bear on the outcome of these TOD sites, three in all.
This short article is a prompt for you to be thinking about the types of services and facilities which you feel would complement Roosevelt Station. You’ll read more about TOD and find opportunities for input in future issues of The Roosie.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Roosevelt is the next chapter in our urban village storybook. Done right, TOD affords the opportunity to create a true town center, the hub of a vibrant urban village. Another fascinating and important discussion awaits us.
To learn more about the Roosevelt neighborhood & the RNA please read The Roosie, March 2015, (The Roosie March 2015 pdf).