NEW DELAY: City Light says Morgan Junction EV lot is on hold for just-discovered problem

It’s already four years past the original estimate for completion. Today, Seattle City Light says the Morgan Junction electric-vehicle-charging lot project has a brand-new delay. The utility just sent this update:

While crews worked on site during the FIFA construction moratorium, City Light construction engineers identified a significant structural design issue. This required a complete work stoppage and will further delay the project so the project team can develop a solution. We will provide an estimated completion date for the charging station once the solution is approved by permitting authorities. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

No details of the “significant structural design issue” were provided, so we’re asking about that, and whether this is likely to mean weeks of delay or months of delay. (Despite the “work stoppage,” there was a heavy-equipment operator on site shortly after 8:30 pm last night when we took the photo above.) The lot is supposed to provide eight chargers for paid public use. SCL had just said in June that crews were dealing with “challenging” site conditions that would prevent them from achieving the most-recent projected completion date, which would have been next month.

17 Replies to "NEW DELAY: City Light says Morgan Junction EV lot is on hold for just-discovered problem"

  • Mike B July 16, 2026 (3:00 pm)

    A “structural design issue”? The project is a parking lot with a large transformer pad and conduit to small charging stations. Looks like there’s already a new high voltage feeder pole across the street installed for the project. Is it the pole? Or running conduit from the pole across the street? Also, the solution requires approval by the permitting authority, which is itself; the City of Seattle.At a time when the City is asking for several tax increases in the August primary and November election, these delays on small projects, particularly those of questionable value, are concerning.

    • Erik July 16, 2026 (5:38 pm)

      Agreed. However it’s important to note that the funds for these EV projects come directly from a separate line item EV owners pay on their registration each year. 

      • Chemist July 16, 2026 (11:03 pm)

        While EV owners pay a line item on car registration, when I looked for info on the funding for this particular project I could only see project documents identifying the “SCL Electrification & Strategic Technologies CIP” Ordinance #126955 with the ultimate contract on opengov going to Zenisco Inc for $823,350.32 with stipulations of $1.5 or $2k per day for delays. So I’m not sure EV car tabs pay for this and delay penalty avoidance might factor in how design problems get flagged.

        • Erik July 17, 2026 (9:20 am)

          Paying for delays sounds insane to me.

          • M.b. July 20, 2026 (11:02 am)

            Paying for delays is extremely standard in commercial construction contracts. If the GC caused the delay, it’s liquidated damages. If it’s unforseen conditions (bad soils, etc) or an owner caused delay, the gc gets paid to stay mobilized and not leave the job. Time is money to all parties involved.

  • Dysfunction July 16, 2026 (3:04 pm)

    The Space Needle was built in 400 days. If they keep looking for problems they will find them. 

  • Jay July 16, 2026 (3:17 pm)

    This must be one of the most beleaguered/mismanaged projects in the city. When we moved to High Point three years ago this lot was already a year late. We left High Point two years later, it wasn’t done. Now it’s a year after that, and it doesn’t even have a finish date!?It’s some pavement and some power on a busy street. How hard can it possibly be? This kind of stuff is why people don’t like paying taxes.

    • The 17th Smothers Brother July 16, 2026 (7:06 pm)

      When it comes to annoying uses of taxpayer money I’ll take delayed parking lots over genocidal war mongering any day. 

      • Kyle July 17, 2026 (1:07 pm)

        Are you having trouble separating local incompetence with the white house? I’m so glad these delays have stopped the federal government from starting new wars..

      • Rhonda B July 18, 2026 (9:44 am)

        @ The 17th Smothers Brother: SAME!!!

  • Justin July 16, 2026 (4:41 pm)

    Which oft-delayed, City-managed (using that term very loosely) Morgan Junction project will be completed first: the park or the EV lot? At this rate, it will be a miracle if either is completed by the 2030 World Cup.

  • old timer July 16, 2026 (4:51 pm)

    What a stinking crock.  We can build multi-story apartment buildings, with paring levels for tenants that have electric chargers in them, and there are “structural design” issues with an 8 car pad?  Even more questions that will remain unanswered  – whose children are designing this “project”?  How much are they being paid? 

  • Erik July 16, 2026 (5:35 pm)

    Yet another “told ya so”.

  • Rob July 16, 2026 (10:38 pm)

    The fewer projects handled by government, the better off we will be.  The private sector is mightily more efficient than public.  People spending their own money are infinitely more likely to spend it wisely.

  • Look Both Ways July 17, 2026 (6:33 am)

    Vote NO on any and all new tax ordinances. Force this mismanaged city / county / state to be more efficient with our funds. We’re long past enough. 

  • ColumbiaChris July 17, 2026 (5:47 pm)

    Seems like a real waste of public money and space for 8 charging spots when it would be much better-spent subsidizing hundreds or thousands of at-home chargers.

  • WestSeattleBadTakes July 19, 2026 (1:22 pm)

    I can’t seem to escape the omni-segment. Sigh.

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