Candidates Thoughts on U District Square
This election year we have the City of Seattle's mayor and four councilmember seats open. We have asked each for his or her opinion on our vision of a public space adjacent to the light rail station in the University District:
Mayor
Michael McGinn
"The city has launched the University District Livability Partnership to address issues of growth and quality of life in the U-District. Parks, plazas and open spaces will be a key component of that effort. I will be looking forward to recommendations from the community on how best to integrate public spaces into the new light rail station in the U District."
Website: www.mcginnformayor.com
Edward B. Murray
"The creation of open public spaces is important to the vitality of our collective cultural and community spirit. The University District is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in our city and offers incredible opportunities for learning and connecting with people from all over the world. Creating and maintaining a community space where all people are welcome is a vital consideration of any public project and I commend your efforts in working with a range of stakeholders to develop a plan to utilize this new space in the U District that best serves the community."
Website: www.murray4mayor.com
City Council, Position 2
Richard Conlin
"I welcome the community efforts to create a great open space for the University District. We included a plaza in the Capitol Hill Station Development Agreement, which will be the new home for the Broadway Farmers Market. Great neighborhoods balance good housing and job development with parks, libraries and other essential components of livability."
Website: www.richardconlin.com
Kshama Sawant
"Thank you for your efforts creating public spaces. I stand for increasing the public services offered in Seattle, including parks, funded by increasing taxes on millionaires and corporations, not workers, small businesses, or home-owners. The real-estate available above the new light-rail station sounds like a good opportunity for a public project."
Website: www.votesawant.org
City Council, Position 4
Sally Bagshaw
"I fully support your effort to design the perfect U District Square. I know you are working with the University, with the local Chamber of Commerce, businesses, Sound Transit and interested neighborhood leaders. This is the right approach. Please include our Neighborhood Greenway connectors and cycletracks for bicycles and pedestrians through your square while you are creating your vision. Let's leverage your good work and link the Burke Gilman Trail, our new waterfront Bryant Park on Portage Bay through your beautiful new public space on north to the Roosevelt Neighborhood!"
Website: www.sallybagshaw.com
Sam Bellomio
"I support the Public Square 100%. I am afraid that the special interest of the University and the blind City Council will cause your community to lose this space. My goal is to bring back Community empowerment so that each community may shape their future. I hope to be elected so that I can work on your behalf to get the public square built!"
Website: www.samforseattle.com
City Council, Position 6
Edwin Fruit
"As long as housing and development are commodities based on the market system, working people will find it difficult to plan and put into affect what we need. The Socialist Workers Party calls for a massive federally funded public works program that would put millions to work to build and maintain what working people need from infrastructure to schools, hospitals, child care centers and of course public spaces. Until working people take political power out of the hands of the capitalist class, the working class will continue to be the objects of assaults on our wages, working conditions, right to housing and health care."
Email:
Nick Licata
"I strongly support the creation of an open space to be incorporated into the new Sound Transit station in the University District. I’m particularly pleased that it may be available for use for the farmers market, since that will encourage more pedestrian traffic into the light rail station and provide more business for the sellers in the market. I thank the stakeholders in the U District for promoting this concept."
Website: www.nicklicata.org
City Council, Position 8
Mike O'Brien
"The University District has a rich history and diverse community that make it ripe for great place-making. As we plan for development at and around the light rail station, we should work hard to create public spaces where people can mix and gather as well as encourage transit-oriented development that allows more people to live and work near transit. I look forward to engaging with the University District community in a conversation about the right balance and best design of the light rail station, for the neighborhood."
Website: www.obrienforseattle.com
Albert Shen
"As a former student of the UW and resident of the University District what happens to the U-District is very important to me. We have very unique neighborhoods in Seattle and these individual unique neighborhoods is what makes Seattle a very special city. It is my hope that the local community, major institutions and Sound Transit will design an open space so that everyone will be able to enjoy the space but also continues to reflect the diverse characteristics of the neighborhood."
Website: www.albertshen.com
Source: Ethics & Elections Commission of the City of Seattle.

