Seattle Waterfront & Pike Place Market#

The removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the construction of Waterfront Park represent the largest public space project in Seattle since the 1962 World’s Fair. The $806 million Waterfront Seattle program reconnected 26 blocks of downtown to Elliott Bay, creating over 20 acres of new public space. At the waterfront’s heart is Pike Place Market, the oldest continuously operating public market in the United States, now linked directly to the shoreline through the Overlook Walk. Together, these projects form one of the most significant urban design transformations in the city’s history.

Waterfront Park today#

As of September 2025, all major components of Waterfront Park are open. The park spans 1.5 miles from Pioneer Square to Belltown and includes nearly 1,000 new trees, over 150,000 plants, and 1.2 miles of protected bike lanes. (Seattle.gov Program Overview)

Overlook Walk#

The Overlook Walk opened on October 4, 2024, creating the first direct pedestrian connection between Pike Place Market and the waterfront. The elevated park covers approximately 60,000 square feet and bridges a nearly 100-foot elevation change. Features include 360-degree views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier; wheelchair- and stroller-accessible pathways with no street crossings required; two public elevators connecting to MarketFront and the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion; native plantings; a children’s play area; and Ann Hamilton’s public art installation Guests. The project cost approximately $70 million and was built by Hoffman Construction. (Seattle.gov Overlook Walk | Mayor’s Office)

Park Promenade#

A linear park running along the west side of Alaskan Way from Railroad Way South to Pier 62. Features include a wooden boardwalk with steel raised gardens, glass bricks embedded in the promenade that transmit light to the rebuilt seawall below for marine habitat, environmental stormwater systems treating up to 7.5 million gallons annually, and public restrooms. The new Alaskan Way surface street spans 17 blocks with two lanes in each direction. (Friends of Waterfront Park | Seattle.gov Program Overview)

Pier 58#

The rebuilt Pier 58 opened on July 25, 2025, as the final major component of Waterfront Park. The new pier provides nearly 50,000 square feet of park space featuring a 25-foot jellyfish-inspired climbing tower with an 18-foot slide, an elevated lawn, a tree grove of Frontier elms, and the restored 1974 Waterfront Fountain by James H. FitzGerald and Margaret Tomkins. The original horseshoe-shaped pier (opened 1974) had become structurally deficient and was demolished in 2020. Reconstruction cost $34.5 million. (The Urbanist | Mayor’s Office)

Pier 62#

Rebuilt and opened September 20, 2020, Pier 62 provides nearly 40,000 square feet of flexible park space, built with 175 steel piles and 214 concrete deck panels. The pier includes a floating dock, embedded LED lighting, and grating that increases light penetration to nearshore salmon habitat. Public art includes Stephen Vitiello’s sound sculpture Land Buoy Bells on the floating dock. (Seattle.gov Pier 62)

Habitat Beach#

A man-made intertidal area between Colman Dock and Pier 48, constructed with over 45,000 tons of sand, gravel, soil, shells, and rocks. Shells were donated by the Suquamish tribe. The beach includes 1,400 native plants and supports juvenile salmon migration by restoring natural shoreline features. Construction completed in 2020; the beach opened to the public on July 1, 2023. Habitat Beach received the APWA 2020 Project of the Year award. (Seattle.gov Habitat Beach | SDOT Blog)

Pike Place Market#

Pike Place Market opened on August 17, 1907, making it the oldest continuously operating public market in the country. The 9-acre historic district combines commercial retail, a farmers market, restaurants, low-income housing, social services, and public space. The market operates 363 days per year and draws an estimated 10 to 20 million visitors annually. (Pike Place Market | Seattle City Archives)

Governance: the PDA#

The Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA) is a not-for-profit public corporation chartered by the City of Seattle on June 23, 1973, following the 1971 voter initiative. The PDA manages market operations, preserves historic buildings, and provides low-income housing and social services within the 9-acre district. (Pike Place Market Governance)

The PDA Council has 12 members:

• 4 appointed by the Mayor of Seattle
• 4 appointed by the PDA Council itself
• 4 elected by the Pike Place Market Constituency (a public participation body established in 1973)

All 12 must be confirmed by the Seattle City Council. Members serve four-year terms. The PDA Charter requires public meetings to approve any expenditures over $10,000, bond issues, and annual budgets. (Project for Public Spaces)

The PDA manages approximately 450 residents in affordable housing units across multiple buildings, with approximately 90% being low-income seniors with subsidized rents. Social services operated through the Pike Place Market Foundation (established 1982) include the Pike Market Senior Center, Pike Market Food Bank, Neighborcare Health clinic, Pike Market Child Care & Preschool, and Providence Heritage House assisted living. (Pike Place Market)

Pike Place Market Historical Commission#

The Pike Place Market Historical Commission is a separate regulatory body created by the 1971 voter initiative. The 12-member citizen commission, appointed by the Mayor, must approve in advance any changes in use, restoration, alteration, reconstruction, demolition, or new construction within the historic district. A Certificate of Approval is required before changes can proceed. Commission decisions are based on the Pike Place Market Historical District Guidelines, the District Ordinance (SMC 25.24), and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. (Seattle.gov Historic Districts)

Commission membership includes:

• 2 representatives from Friends of the Market
• 2 representatives from Allied Arts of Seattle
• 2 representatives from the Seattle Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
• 2 district residents
• 2 district merchants
• 1 district property owner
• 1 at-large member

2024 Master Plan#

On March 28, 2024, the PDA Council adopted a new Master Plan to guide the market for the next 50 years. The plan establishes three foundational goals: long-term financial sustainability, increased local patronage, and advancing a diverse and inclusive market. (Pike Place Market Master Plan)

History#

1907: Pike Place Market opens#

In the early 1900s, wholesale commission houses acting as middlemen drove up food prices. City Councilman Thomas P. Revelle introduced an ordinance to establish a farmers market at Pike Place, and the Seattle City Council passed it on August 5, 1907. On opening day, August 17, farmer H.O. Blanchard arrived from Renton and sold out to a crowd of waiting customers. By August 24, approximately 70 wagons filled Pike Place. The first permanent covered arcade was erected on November 30, 1907, by John and Frank Goodwin. By 1909, the market averaged 64 farmers per day and 300,000 visitors per month. (Seattle City Archives | HistoryLink)

1941-1942: Japanese American vendor removal#

In 1941, Japanese American farmers operated approximately two-thirds of the market’s stalls and produced 75% of the fruits and vegetables sold. After Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, nearly 7,000 people of Japanese ancestry were deported from the Seattle area to internment camps. Farmer-seller licenses dropped approximately 80% from 1941 to 1943. Total permits fell from 515 in 1939 to 53 by 1949. Many families lost their farms to predatory buyers. A five-panel mural called Song of the Earth at the Market entrance commemorates this history. (Pike Place Market Day of Remembrance | HistoryLink)

1950s: Alaskan Way Viaduct constructed#

Construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct began on February 6, 1950, and the double-decker freeway carrying US Route 99 along the waterfront opened to traffic on April 4, 1953. The elevated highway created a physical barrier between downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay for more than six decades. (WSDOT)

1963-1964: Demolition threat and Friends of the Market#

In 1963, downtown business leaders promoted a plan to raze the 20-acre Market area and replace it with a parking garage for 3,000 cars, a hotel, and office buildings. In September 1964, architect Victor Steinbrueck and Robert Ashley gathered 60 supporters at Lowell’s Restaurant to launch Friends of the Market to oppose the demolition. (Seattle.gov Historic Districts | Pike Place Market)

1970: National Register of Historic Places#

On March 13, 1970, the Pike Place Public Market Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Seattle.gov Historic Districts)

1971: Initiative 1 saves the Market#

Friends of the Market collected 53,000 signatures to qualify Initiative No. 1 for the ballot. The initiative proposed a 7-acre historic district and a 12-member Historical Commission with authority over any alteration or demolition. The Mayor, City Council, downtown business establishment, and major editorial boards opposed it, promoting a smaller 1.7-acre counterproposal. On November 2, 1971, Seattle voters approved Initiative No. 1 by a vote of 76,369 to 53,264. This was the first historic district in the United States created by public vote. (HistoryLink | Pike Place Market)

1973-1986: PDA restoration#

The PDA was chartered in 1973 and began with four employees. At the time, 80% of the market’s space was unrented. Supervising architect George Bartholick led the rehabilitation of 10 buildings between 1975 and 1986, including the Corner Market (1975), LaSalle Building (64 residential units), Sanitary Market, and First & Pine Building (51 low-income units). In 1985, Bartholick received an AIA National Honors Award. In 1987, Pike Place Market received the first-ever Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence Gold Medal. (Pike Place Market Restoration History | HistoryLink)

2001: Nisqually earthquake damages viaduct#

On February 28, 2001, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Puget Sound region. The quake damaged support columns and cracked joints and floor beams on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, forcing a one-day closure. WSDOT invested $14.5 million in emergency repairs. Experts assessed a 1-in-20 chance the viaduct could fail in another earthquake within a decade. (WSDOT)

2009: Deep-bored tunnel selected#

After years of debate over replacement options, Seattle, King County, and the state agreed in 2009 to replace the viaduct with a deep-bored tunnel. A 2007 public advisory vote had shown voters opposed both a new elevated highway (55% against) and a shallow tunnel (70% against). In 2011, a Seattle referendum showed 58% voter support for the tunnel-and-boulevard approach. (WSDOT)

2010: Waterfront Seattle design begins#

The City selected James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) as the urban design lead for the waterfront program. James Corner is the founding partner known for designing New York’s High Line. The design team worked with engineers, ecologists, artists, and transportation consultants over 10,000 community engagement participants to develop the waterfront framework plan. (Seattle.gov Program Overview)

2013-2017: Tunnel boring machine “Bertha”#

The tunnel boring machine Bertha, at 57.5 feet in diameter the world’s largest TBM at the time, began excavation on July 30, 2013. In December 2013, work halted at 1,083 feet due to bearing seal damage, and Bertha sat idle for two years while crews excavated a 120-foot-deep repair vault. The machine resumed in December 2015 and broke through in April 2017, 29 months behind schedule. A jury later awarded WSDOT $57.2 million in damages from the contractor. (WSDOT)

2017: MarketFront expansion#

On June 29, 2017, the $75 million MarketFront expansion opened on a former parking lot on the market’s northern side, after 43 years of debate and over 200 public hearings. Designed by The Miller Hull Partnership, the project added 47 new day stalls, 30,000 square feet of open public space, 40 low-income senior housing apartments, 7 live/work artist units, and 300 underground parking spaces. MarketFront was designed as the future gateway from the Market to the waterfront. (HistoryLink | Pike Place Market)

2017: Elliott Bay Seawall completed#

The rebuilt Elliott Bay Seawall replaced the deteriorating 1930s-era structure along the central waterfront. The new seawall includes textured surfaces, grooves, and shallow-water rock beds designed to support marine habitat, along with light-penetrating sidewalk panels. (SDOT Blog)

2019: Viaduct demolished, tunnel opens#

The Alaskan Way Viaduct was permanently closed on January 11, 2019. The SR 99 tunnel opened on February 4, 2019, as a 2-mile double-decker highway carrying two lanes in each direction beneath downtown. Viaduct demolition began in February 2019, and the final segment was removed in November 2019. The total cost of the Highway 99 project (tunnel, demolition, new surface street, connecting ramps) was approximately $3.3 billion, funded by the state. (WSDOT)

2020-2025: Waterfront Park construction#

Major milestones during construction:

• September 2020: Pier 62 opens
• July 2023: Habitat Beach opens to the public
• October 2024: Overlook Walk opens
• December 2024: Pioneer Square east-west pedestrian improvements completed
• July 2025: Pier 58 opens
• September 6, 2025: Grand opening celebration for the completed Waterfront Park

(Mayor’s Office)

2025: Pike Place pedestrianization pilot#

Starting in late April 2025, Pike Place between Pike and Pine Streets was restricted to commercial deliveries, emergency vehicles, and ADA permit holders. Between January and June 2025, foot traffic increased 7.5% year-over-year. The pilot was extended through spring 2026, with a comprehensive street management plan targeted before the June 2026 FIFA World Cup. (The Urbanist | KNKX)

How the city funds and manages the waterfront#

Funding ($806 million total)#

City funding comes from the commercial parking tax, Real Estate Excise Tax (REET), fee revenue, and limited tax general obligation bonds. (Seattle.gov Program Overview)

Budget by component#

(Seattle.gov Program Overview)

Local Improvement District (LID)#

The Waterfront LID (No. 6751) was established by ordinance on January 22, 2019, assessing $160 million against property owners who benefit from the waterfront improvements. The LID has a 20-year payment schedule: years 1-10 (2022-2031) are interest-only at 3.78%, and years 11-20 (2032-2041) include interest plus equal annual principal installments. (Seattle.gov LID)

Operations and management#

In January 2023, the City transferred Waterfront Park operations from Seattle Parks & Recreation to Seattle Center, in partnership with Friends of Waterfront Park and the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. The voter-approved Seattle Park District provides $3.5 million annually for operations and maintenance. Friends of Waterfront Park, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, raised $170 million in philanthropic capital and manages year-round programming under a six-year agreement with the City. (Friends of Waterfront Park)

Public space design#

Design team#

James Corner Field Operations led the urban design, with additional work by Schemata Workshop, Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture, and program management by HNTB. The Overlook Walk was designed by the City’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. MarketFront was designed by The Miller Hull Partnership. (Seattle.gov Program Overview)

Accessibility#

The project established a Disability Roundtable with advocates from low-vision, blind, deaf/blind, and mobility communities. Design features include detectable wayfinding strips for mobility cane users, accessible pedestrian signal push buttons with audible messaging, four public elevators connecting the waterfront to higher streets, curbless sidewalks, a raised intersection 3 inches above the roadway, and ADA-accessible gender-neutral restrooms. The city described the approach as going beyond ADA compliance to pursue Universal Design. (Seattle.gov Accessibility | SDOT Blog)

Public art#

The Office of Arts & Culture commissioned nine site-specific artwork projects and two fountain reinstallations. Notable works include:

• Ann Hamilton, Guests – 42 large-scale puppets suspended under Overlook Walk
• Buster Simpson, Migration Stage – cast concrete sculptures near Habitat Beach
• Oscar Tuazon, To Our Teachers (Houseposts) – 22 pairs of carved Douglas fir post-and-beam structures referencing Indigenous architecture
• Stephen Vitiello, Land Buoy Bells – tidal sound sculpture on Pier 62’s floating dock
• Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson (Puyallup), Family – three carved cedar sculptures near Pier 58

Seven artists from local tribes contributed art along the Park Promenade and Overlook Walk. (Seattle Office of Arts & Culture)

Ecological restoration#

The rebuilt seawall includes textured surfaces, grooves, and nooks for algae growth, shallow-water rock beds, and light-penetrating sidewalk panels to support marine life. Habitat Beach restores natural intertidal shoreline lost when the waterfront was industrialized. Glass bricks in the Park Promenade transmit light to the seawall below. Stormwater systems treat up to 7.5 million gallons annually. (SDOT Blog | Seattle.gov Habitat Beach)

Upcoming: Elliott Bay Connections#

Elliott Bay Connections is a $45 million privately funded project building a new pedestrian and bicycle greenway on the east side of Alaskan Way from Pier 62 north to Olympic Sculpture Park, plus revitalizing Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks. Construction began in February 2025, with completion targeted for June 2026 in time for the FIFA World Cup. When complete, Seattle will have 50 acres of connected parks spanning 3.5 miles along Elliott Bay. (Elliott Bay Connections)

Advocacy organizations#

• Friends of Waterfront Park: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raised $170 million for the waterfront project and manages year-round programming under a partnership with the City
• Pike Place Market Foundation: Fundraising arm for the Market’s social services, established 1982; has invested over $15 million in private funds and secured over $75 million in public funds for low-income housing and services
• Friends of the Market: Preservation advocacy group founded in 1964 by Victor Steinbrueck; led the 1971 Initiative 1 campaign
• Downtown Seattle Association: Implementation partner for the Elliott Bay Connections project

Data sources#

• Waterfront Seattle Program Overview: Funding, budget breakdowns, and project scope
• Seattle.gov Waterfront Projects: Individual project pages for each component
• Pike Place Market PDA Governance: PDA Council structure, meeting agendas, annual reports
• Pike Place Market Historical Commission: Certificate of Approval process, guidelines, and meeting schedule
• Waterfront LID Information: Assessment details, payment schedule, and property owner resources
• Pike Place Market Master Plan: 50-year strategic vision adopted March 2024

Key statistics#

Sources: Seattle.gov Program Overview | Pike Place Market | Mayor’s Office

Related resources#

• Bike Network – The waterfront includes 1.2 miles of new protected bike lanes connecting Pioneer Square to Belltown
• Pedestrian Safety & Infrastructure – Overlook Walk and the Park Promenade are major pedestrian infrastructure investments
• Land Use Glossary – Terms like “SEPA,” “comprehensive plan,” and “historic district”
• Funding & Policy Glossary – Terms like “LID,” “REET,” and “TIF”

Last updated: February 2026