Ex-Avalon Substation’s long-planned demolition to start next week

| Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo, 2016)

Two and a half years ago, we reported on neighbors’ concerns regarding plans for Seattle City Light‘s ex-Avalon Substation site at 3243 SW Genesee. At that time, SCL said it would likely be demolished before the end of 2016, with contamination cleanup to follow. Nothing has happened on the site except for a series of permit extensions for nearby Pecos Pit (WSB sponsor) to use it for parking. But today, City Light has announced that the demolition will happen next week. Here’s the full notice we just received:

Seattle City Light is planning clean up activities at the former Avalon Substation at 3243 SW Genesee Street beginning Monday, April 8, 2019. The work includes demolishing the existing concrete substation and the removal of trees and shrubs.

The work will take place in two phases:

PHASE 1: April 8 – Mid June 2019
Demolition of the existing concrete substation building.
Removal of trees/brushes adjacent to the building.
There will be noise, and disruptions to local traffic, parking, and sidewalks adjacent to the site.
Work will take place Mondays – Fridays between 7 am-5 pm.

PHASE 2: Contaminated soil removal will occur later in 2019 – you will receive notification

For further information, please contact Senior Project Manager, Molly Rathe, at (206) 684-3351 or Molly.Rathe@seattle.gov.

The site also has a rezoning action pending, “to contract rezone a parcel of land from SF 5000 (Single Family 5000) to NC3-65’ (Neighborhood Commercial 3 with a 65-foot height limit),” and a comment period just opened for that (here’s the notice); we have an inquiry out regarding plans for the site beyond the demolition and cleanup.

Anonymous Coward April 1, 2019 (2:37 pm)

Shouldn’t this be re-zoned for a train station? Or is someone going to build a 65′ building and sell it to Sound Transit?

Friend O'Dinghus April 1, 2019 (8:50 pm)

Exactly AC! It’s also a strategy previously used elsewhere by players associated with this particular rezone. History repeating itself. The rezone decision should only be made after the light rail alignment has been determined. This is the only way for City Light to determine the lot’s true value prior to sale.
Ice April 1, 2019 (11:09 pm)

That specific spot doesn’t strike me as very good at all for a train station. The property is pushed into quite a strange little corner. The whole block around that area is pretty uncomfortable to walk around. The Avalon and 35th intersection completely sucks to cross and being pushed up against the WS bridge real bad there would be like one way into the station and the station would be noisy as hell if it were above grounds. Unless the city gave that area a gigantic facelift, it would be a horribly uncomfortable place to get off of a train. You’d also be far from everything except a gas station. So it sucks for businesses too. Lots of people on foot would also slow down traffic as well. Some guy was also seriously injured by a car there not too long ago, so it’s obviously not safe either. There are far better places for a rail station.
- chemist April 2, 2019 (10:37 am)
  
  It’s directly in the path of most light rail routes that have been presented and is where the station North of Avalon has been proposed. Above-grade or underground, Sound Transit needs a decent construction staging area too.Of course, if you’re a group of investors who have just filed permits to build a 65 ft apartment building there, you probably have a pretty strong case with Sound Transit for getting all the money you’ve put into planning for a new building back (and know some lawyers happy to make that case). If you even get as far as building a new building, you can get your money back even without decades of renting it.

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