King Street Station Rehabilitation

Constructed in 1906, King Street Station, once a gateway for millions of travelers coming into Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, played a major role in establishing Seattle as a major metropolitan city. But the station, which is listed on the National Register, had fallen into disrepair with the decline in train travel in the latter half of the century. The sustainable seismic and renovation of the historic structure not only preserves the building and the materials and energy required to build it, but it also respects and restores the craftsmanship of its time and strengthens its role as a regional transportation hub and neighborhood link.

Currently in construction, elements of the project include rehabilitation of the iconic 12-story clock tower, original 45-foot-high ornamental plaster ceilings and halls, terrazzo and mosaic tile floors, and operable windows. True to the building’s original fashion, the white marble wainscoting, decorative sconces and glass globe chandeliers that were removed during ‘modernization’ of the station in the 1950s will be replicated and replaced. The rehabilitation also includes significant seismic and structural updates to improve the building’s safety and durability – all which will comply with the City’s sustainable building standards and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard and Guidelines for Historic Preservation.

A number of sustainable strategies and systems are envisioned to increase building performance including natural ventilation, replacement of all mechanical systems with a new ground-source heat pump, and energy and water efficient lights and fixtures. Energy models predict the building to use 35.8 KBTU/sf/yr, performing 56.4% better than ASHRAE 2007 and meeting benchmarks of the 2030 Challenge. The project is anticipated to achieve a minimum of LEED Gold certification.