King County Civic Ground

King County government is tasked with providing high-quality services and protecting the places that make its region special. From human services and the health of the community to running buses, treating wastewater, and creating housing for people of all incomes, King County government is entrusted with serving the public and–over the long haul–making sure that things the government touches are left in a better state for future generations. And while there are data dashboards and studies that validate this work, the impact left is often intangibly a part of people’s lives.

But at this moment, King County employees find themselves working to maintain high levels of service in buildings that no longer adequately support their work. The county operates a historic courthouse that is more than a century old and in desperate need of rehabilitation, a small historic office building from the early 1900s that needs revitalization, a 1960s office building (now shuttered and vacant following the pandemic), a parking garage, two vacant lots, and an obsolete jail that needs to be replaced very soon. King County’s Civic Campus Initiative planning process is focused on creating a high-level strategic plan for the development of new, contemporary facilities for county employees and services. The county government’s current home base is spread out across eight blocks in the urban core that constitute some of the most desirable real estate in the region, but the area is stagnant. This historic area, nestled between a number of vibrant and growing neighborhoods, can remain the center of our local government, but it can also be so much more. In a post-Covid environment, with dramatic changes to centers of commerce led largely by remote and hybrid work, policy makers and the public are pondering the purpose of major metropolitan environments in the United States and beyond. What can a city provide for the public? What opportunities do policymakers have to revitalize and reinvigorate downtown urban centers? As stewards of the county’s resources, the county government has committed to the people it serves to do something better, to shape a future that serves the people who will call this place home for decades to come. From a neighborhood composed entirely of government offices, this area can be transformed into a 24-hour neighborhood with capacity to include housing for people of all incomes and backgrounds. It can offer gathering spaces, retail, restaurants, the corner store, and offices that reflect the realities of working today. And most importantly, it must connect with transit, not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the planning of a holistic environment. This place can become a center that enlivens and connects the surrounding neighborhoods, that invites people to join in, and exemplifies the best of what a city — and a true global metropolitan region — can offer. This is a huge undertaking which will require years of planning and execution. But it will be a worthy transformation in one of largest metropolitan regions on the west coast.