(rshsdepot) Seattle, WA (King Street Station)

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From a news release from the City of Seattle.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Antenna Mast Removed from Historic King Street Station 
 
SEATTLE - The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) today finished  
removing the large antenna mast from the clock tower of King Street Station. As  
part of the restoration of the historic terminal, the department took down the 
 45-foot tall mast and two nine-foot wide microwave dishes over two days. 
Once  used for railroad communications, the 1960s era equipment had long marred 
the  beauty of the 245-foot clock tower, which was modeled after the San Marco 
bell  tower of Venice, Italy. 
 
This work is yet another component of the city’s $26.5 million restoration  
of the 102-year-old railroad station. SDOT is now replacing the leaking roof 
and  has already fixed broken station windows, repaired the four clocks and 
mended  the neon “King Street Station” sign over Jackson Street Plaza. 
Refurbishing the  tower’s windows and restoring the original clock lighting will soon 
follow. By  late 2011, interior finishes and the lobby’s original ornate ceiling 
will be  restored, the grand staircase will be recreated and reopened, and 
seismic  upgrades will be made.
 
Returned to its original grandeur, King Street Station will be transformed  
into a modern transportation hub and will support connections for south Seattle 
 and beyond. The city’s goal is to have a centralized boarding point for 
Amtrak  long distance rail, Sound Transit commuter rail and Amtrak intercity 
buses, with  convenient access to Metro buses and, in the future, Link light rail 
and the  Seattle Streetcar. 
 
Contributions from the city, state and federal governments are funding the  
restoration effort. The voter-approved Bridging the Gap levy will provide $10  
million, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will  
offer $16.5 million in state and federal funds.
 
King Street Station first opened to the public in May 1906. Reed and Stem,  
the architectural firm responsible for New York City’s celebrated Grand Central 
 Terminal, designed the terminal. The structure was placed on the National  
Register of Historic Places in 1973.
 
The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates  
Seattle's $8 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’  
goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term  
investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the  city 
with the region.
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1794
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org