SEATTLE—The Sound Transit Board has approved a progressive design-build contract for the Operations and Maintenance Facility South, located on about 70 acres at South 336th Street in Federal Way, to Hoffman Construction Company of Washington. When complete in 2032, the essential facility will house maintenance and operations equipment and staff in support of the existing and future light rail vehicle fleet.
Hoffman was part of a joint venture with Stacy Witbeck and Kiewit, that installed 5 miles of new light rail lines along I-5 from Northgate to Lynnwood City Center. Hoffman built the Shoreline South/148th and Shoreline North/185th Stations and their respective parking garages.
Progressive design-build is a phased procurement process where the design-builder is selected early in the project lifespan, primarily based on qualifications, and works closely with the project owner on cost and schedule control as the project evolves. The contracting method is widely used by other public agencies in Washington state and by transit agencies around the country.
“Advancing this project through progressive design-build is another example of how Sound Transit is responding to the Board’s directive to leverage best practices from our peers and industry to deliver cost-effective projects on schedule,” said Sound Transit Deputy CEO and Chief Capital Delivery Officer Terri Mestas. “This delivery method will help us better collaborate with our industry partners to manage risks, control costs and streamline decision-making — continuing our efforts to make Sound Transit an owner of choice in the region.”
The scope of work covered under the $350 million Hoffman contract award includes final design, site preparation, roadway improvements, long-lead material procurement and construction staging and support facilities. The project baseline budget and the additional cost of completion will require additional action by the Sound Transit Board.
The OMF South will support future service levels across all Link lines. The facility will provide space to store, test, commission and maintain at least 72 new 95-foot-long Series 3 light rail vehicles and will include a maintenance-of-way building and other support facilities. The mainline track will provide access to the OMF South facility building and yard.
This new facility will create high-skilled, living-wage jobs for more than 610 people in South King County. At Sound Transit’s existing OMF Central in Seattle and OMF East in Bellevue, the average employee wage is $45 per hour, or $85,000/year.
Not everyone is excited about the location of the new OMF South facitity.
Mill Creek Councilman Vincent Cavaleri alleges that Sound Transit is “weaponizing” eminent domain to seize a 50-acre portion of the property that includes Christian Faith Center Church.
Cavaleri argues that the taking of the Christian Faith Center property — home to the church, a day-care center and Pacific Christian Academy — violates the Fifth Amendment’s “just compensation” requirement by ignoring years of community investment and spiritual value, offering “pennies on the dollar.”
He said a King County moratorium on new church construction would prevent the congregation from rebuilding locally, amounting to a First Amendment attack on religious liberty and turning eminent domain into “an instrument of political self-interest” rather than legitimate public use.
Christian Faith Center has already acquired a new property for relocation — a site directly across Highway 99 from its current Federal Way campus at Kitts Corner. The church is currently working through the permitting process with the City of Federal Way and hopes to begin construction of its new building “in the coming months.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
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