The Broadway benches outside Capitol Hill Station are gone — but tables in the station plaza are coming

The CHS Facebook Group noticed the missing benches this week

It’s not a big mystery why the benches along Broadway are gone but it’s not easy finding someone to talk about the removal of seating along the mixed-use developments above Capitol Hill Station.

Back before the holidays, sidewalk benches along Broadway outside the M2M store and the buildings were ripped out. According to employees at local businesses, the benches had to be removed because they were attracting camping and drug use, CHS reported in December.

While they are located along the public right of way, the benches were assets managed by the properties but sorting out who makes the call on what around Capitol Hill Station isn’t easy.

In August 2016, Sound Transit signed a 99-year lease with Gerding Edlen — now Edlen & Co. — to develop the properties it had acquired surrounding the station. The Portland-based developer led the project with designs from Hewitt and Capitol Hill’s Schemata Workshop. Community Roots Housing developed and operates the affordable housing component of the projects.

Nationwide property manager Greystar handles leasing for the market-rate Connection on Broadway development portion of the properties.

Calls and messages to Greystar and Edlen have gone unanswered and Sound Transit directed questions about the removal to the developers and management company.

The plaza above Capitol Hill Station will get tables and chairs later this year

The loss of the benches from the street is a relatively minor change and it’s not clear if the community agreements forged over 20 years to shape development and neighborhood priorities for the buildings included any specifics around the seating features.

While the Broadway benches have been removed, another community feature of the development should soon see new investment.

The area’s large plaza facing Cal Anderson is part of new efforts to bring visitors and new activity to the park and the surrounding area. The Cal Anderson Park Alliance says it is planning to begin setting up tables, umbrellas, and chairs in the plaza this year.

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