U District Station TOD - 45th & Roosevelt Site

Project facts

• Location: U District Station, Seattle, WA
• Site area: ±0.4 acres
• Current use: Interim tiny home village
• Status: Negotiating
• Development partner(s): Low Income Housing Institute

About this project 

Sound Transit’s property at 1000 NE 45th Street, about two blocks from the U District Station, is slated to become a keystone transit-oriented development project in Seattle’s University District.

Following a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process facilitated in partnership with Seattle’s Office of Housing, we issued a Notice of Intent to Award to Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI). LIHI’s proposed project includes 160 affordable units serving households earning between 30% and 80% area median income (AMI), with an average at or below 60% AMI to be built on agency property at 1000 NE 45th Street in Seattle.

LIHI’s proposed 12-story mass timber building will be a first for Sound Transit’s TOD program. Mass timber construction can offer enhanced sustainability and an efficient construction schedule; the project will meet or exceed the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard. Additionally, the project proposes to respond to community priorities by making significant safety and comfort improvements (such as wider sidewalks, seating, street trees, and landscaping) to the pedestrian environment.

As proposed, over 15% of the 160 units will serve households earning at or below 30% AMI, and over one-third of units will be family-size (two or three bedrooms). Community-oriented ground floor uses are planned to include a commercial/retail space and an “Urban Rest Stop” that provides restrooms, shower facilities, and laundry. The Urban Rest Stop would serve a wide range of people, including individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

This project has pre-committed funding from both the Seattle Office of Housing and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. It is also eligible to take advantage of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, which provides funding for affordable housing on Sound Transit TOD sites.

Temporary use: Tiny home village 

Sound Transit has been leasing the property to the City of Seattle for free as a temporary tiny house village prior to construction beginning on the LIHI project.  

The village provides 36 furnished residential units, housing up to 65 people experiencing homelessness.  Rosie’s Tiny Home Village is managed by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority and operated by the Low Income Housing Institute. A community advisory committee supports the success of the village. Contact Josh Castle at LIHI to learn more and get involved. 

Community engagement 

In 2021, we worked to learn more about the community’s aspirations for TOD near our new U District station. We heard strong support for maximizing affordable housing for families and individuals in this high-opportunity neighborhood near the station.

You can read the public feedback we gathered throughout our engagement process in our Community Engagement Report (see the documents section on this page for summaries in four languages).