SEATTLE — The City of Seattle and Seattle School District have begun exploratory talks about placing a new K-8 school near the south portal of the old Battery Street Tunnel.
"You have to strike when the iron is hot," said Seattle Schools Chief Operations Officer, Fred Podesta, who said the city first approached when it became clear that it would regain the property near Western and Battery in Belltown.
The area included the south portal for the tunnel and northern part of the Alaskan Way viaduct.
"Is this even something where a school can be considered?" asked Podesta, who acknowledged talks are very preliminary.
A feasibility study was conducted by the district, and the results were positive.
"It's steeper, it's very urban, obviously is this is something the district would ever consider? We did enough work to let them know, yes this is feasible," said Podesta.
The city's Office of the Waterfront acknowledged the early nature of the talks but added that a formal process for moving forward has not been established.
"Before the idea of siting a school on the site could be considered, the city would need a clear statement of interest from the school district, and agree on a process with set timelines to make a decision," wrote Office of the Waterfront Director, Marshall Foster.
However, the issue has become a pet project for the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and its membership. For years, the DSA has been pushing for new schools as construction and population has exploded.
When asked about when more schools needed to be built, DSA President Jon Scholes bluntly said, "Six years ago. The demographics of kids in downtown is outpacing general growth."
The DSA, in conjunction with the Puget Sound Regional Council, said the downtown population has grown 43% since 2010, and the numbers of pre-school aged children have roughly doubled in the same time period.
According to the DSA, in South Lake Union, the child population has grown by 373% since 2010, and there have been triple-digit growth in the Denny Triangle, Pioneer Square, West Edge, Belltown, and Uptown in the same period.
The problem is, with all the new construction and rise in real estate values, there are limited possibilities for construction.
"This is a public problem, it is expensive real estate," said Podesta, who also noted the lack of available schools has pushed students further away and crowded other buildings.
Scholes noted the DSA and the school district both explored turning the old Federal Reserve building into a school and it didn't pan out. That leads all roads back to city property, like the Battery Street Tunnel area and Seattle Center.
There was a city/district deal signed in 2017 to explore an area near or at Memorial Stadium for a new high school. But progress there has languished.
"We think that would be a home run, maybe not a better place for a high school, to integrate with arts and cultural institutions there," said Scholes in an interview.
There are questions about how any of it would be paid for. Podesta acknowledged the higher costs. The district is also grappling with issues about teacher salaries, a new contract, and a bigger operating budget.
Podesta said this Battery idea is worth exploring because it would serve so many students, and prevent the district from having to build an elementary school, and separate middle school.
"What's the most efficient way to add this capacity, and what's the most equitable way? Because in other neighborhoods, people are used to having a neighborhood school," Podesta said.