Sound Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility East

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sound Transit

Sound Transit (ST) sought to double its Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) fleet to support the East Link expansion of the light rail network to connect downtown Seattle to communities on the east side of Lake Washington. The project required a joint land-use entitlement for the maintenance facility and a surplus property development / Master Development Plan design that preserved 6.9 acres of the 28-acre site for a Transit Oriented Development, which includes affordable housing, and market-rate housing, and commercial spaces. This project was launched to support the needs of the growing community, and the resulting design-build, LEED Gold certified Operations and Maintenance Facility East (OMF East) project in Bellevue, WA will store, maintain, and deploy a 96 light rail vehicle fleet to support the Sound Transit (ST) expansion.

The site includes mainline track access from the south and future access to the north as well as roadway work, urban improvements, significant stormwater improvements, landscaping, replacement of a King County regional sewer line, interim trail improvements in the Eastside Rail Corridor, a public art program, and complete commissioning and testing of all systems.

Design-Build Collaboration Builds Trust and Leads to High Performance

The Operations and Maintenance Facility East (OMF East) project was successful due to the extraordinary effort put forth by all team members to deliver a state-of-the-art maintenance facility on time and within Sound Transit’s (ST) budget. The team co-located and collaborated to establish goals and develop action plans to support critical components like fast-track design, permitting, and construction. Weekly focus group meetings addressed stakeholder concerns and priorities, enhanced communication, and established the trust to ensure high performance. These established relationships in turn allowed the project to maintain construction throughout the pandemic and achieve an on-time turnover, supporting four major light rail extensions across the region.

Design-Build Team

Photos