WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Business-displacement ’roundtable’ Thursday

| Delridge | Sound Transit | West Seattle news

This Thursday morning during the twice-monthly meeting of the City Council committee chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, two North Delridge business owners are scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion about strategies for dealing with light-rail-related displacement. The roundtable discussion is on the agenda for the 9:30 am Thursday (March 19) meeting of the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee; the local participants are Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) proprietor Erin Rubin and Ounces proprietor Laurel Trujillo. Both of their businesses will have to move under the current plan for the Delridge station, which at this point wouldn’t be changed by the newest cost-cutting proposals. Thursday’s roundtable participants also include reps from two city departments and the nonprofit Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, which has been working with local businesses. As always, the meeting will be streamed live, and recorded, by Seattle Channel.

JC March 16, 2026 (11:15 pm)

I get that it isn’t this simple, but isn’t there at least one building directly across the street that is vacant, where a business could theoretically move during a 4-6 year period of construction and keep their customer base mostly intact? Is H&R Block coming back for example? …And then (in a perfect world) they could move back across the street into a nice, new mixed-use light rail station/residential building on an eco-block with ground floor retail and no shortage of customers… would be ideal.

Foop March 17, 2026 (9:04 am)

A taproom next to a light rail station would slap so hard.
- Michael March 17, 2026 (6:30 pm)
  
  Beacon Hill actually has this! And so can this neighborhood if the listening tours stop and construction et all actually begins.

Jim March 17, 2026 (2:56 am)

Can we just put a stop to this already?! Defunf sound transit

Delridge Dude March 17, 2026 (4:43 pm)

I appreciate Councilmember Saka’s leadership on this! He is such a strong advocate for the North Delridge business community. Very much looking forward to tuning into this roundtable presentation!

Jake March 18, 2026 (1:09 pm)

So much so he wanted to physically stop more businesses coming in and more people coming to the region. Saka is a clown.
DavidWS March 19, 2026 (2:01 am)

I totally agree that Councilmember Saka is exhibiting great leadership on this. I’ve lived in West Seattle for over 20 years (and Seattle my whole life), and I can honestly say that he’s been the most honest and transparent city leader that I’ve ever had the opportunity to support. All around good-guy!

PDiddy March 17, 2026 (4:50 pm)

Man a Deltridge station with a line running down Genessee is just dumb. Follow the bridge or Spokane street. Leave the neighborhood alone. This is a seven billion farce.

DavidWS March 17, 2026 (7:22 pm)

I appreciate that Councilmember Saka is so engaged. Light rail to West Seattle is so needed. It’s not an easy project, but I think that Saka has an honest and genuine commitment to making this project a success, without abandoning the small businesses that are affected. Saka seems to really care. He is definitely the right person to lead these round-table discussions and to lead Seattle through this venture.