Seattle’s construction landscape in 2025 is buzzing, especially with a mix of public infrastructure and private developments reshaping the city. Here’s a snapshot of key projects underway or planned:
- Waterfront Seattle Program: This massive overhaul is nearing its final stages, with completion expected by summer 2025. It’s transforming 26 blocks along the central waterfront into a 20-acre park from Belltown to Pioneer Square, following the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s removal. Key elements include the Overlook Walk (connecting Pike Place Market to the waterfront), Pier 58 reconstruction, and new bike lanes on Elliott Way. Construction’s been rolling since the seawall was finished and the viaduct came down, with pieces like the public restroom and Park Promenade set to wrap up by spring 2025. It’s a $1 billion+ effort led by the City of Seattle, with firms like Lease Crutcher Lewis and Turner Construction likely involved in various phases.
- Sound Transit Light Rail Expansions: The East Link Starter Line, a 6-mile light rail from South Bellevue to Redmond’s Microsoft HQ, is slated to finish in 2025. Meanwhile, the Federal Way Link Extension—a 7.8-mile stretch from Angle Lake to Federal Way with three new stations—is in progress, featuring a bridge over 1,000 feet long. The SR 509 Completion Project, tied to the Puget Sound Gateway Program, is also advancing, with Stage 1b (a new expressway mile and I-5 ramps) opening in 2025, though some work spills into 2026. Sound Transit’s $10 billion investment here involves big players like Skanska and Mortenson.
- Seattle Monorail Seattle Center Station Renovations: As of early 2025, STV is overseeing upgrades to this iconic transit hub. Details are sparse, but it’s part of a broader push to modernize aging infrastructure, likely involving local firms like W.G. Clark or Absher for execution.
- Private Developments: On the commercial side, Amazon’s Bellevue 600 project is a beast—two towers totaling over 1.5 million square feet, with the 43-story east tower (600 feet tall) due in 2025. It’s a mixed-use giant with office, retail, and daycare space, built by Clark Construction and others. In downtown Seattle, The Eight—a 540,000-square-foot office/retail tower in Bellevue by Skanska—is also wrapping up in 2025, with Pokémon leasing most of it. Residentially, projects like the 88-unit apartment at 4448 California Ave SW in West Seattle are underway, though Seattle’s permitting delays (think brick-pattern disputes adding $1M to costs) are a recurring headache.
- Multifamily Pipeline: Seattle’s apartment boom continues, with 9,586 units under construction as of mid-2024, down 35% from last year but still 10% of inventory. Most should hit by late 2025, focusing on transit-oriented spots like Shoreline near future light rail stops. Rising costs and lending tightness might stall some permitted projects, though.
What’s driving this? Tech (Amazon, Microsoft) keeps fueling growth, with net migration swelling Seattle’s population from 563,000 in 2000 to 737,000 by 2020. Public money’s pouring into infrastructure—think $1.5 billion for SeaTac Airport’s concourse redo—while sustainability’s a buzzword (e.g., Climate Pledge Arena’s zero-carbon claim). Cranes are everywhere—Seattle led North America with a 21% jump in 2023. But residential volume’s dipping (down 7.7% in 2023), and permitting snarls frustrate developers.