We've reached an important and exciting project milestone. Design is now complete for the two Phase 1 buildings and landscaping of the foundation’s new headquarters.

The campus entrance

The artist's rendering above shows what you'll see from the street as you walk or drive along Fifth Avenue North and look east into the new Republican Street court.

• On the left (north) side is the campus entrance for foundation staff and guests.
  
  
• Cars can enter the Seattle Center Fifth Avenue North public parking garage via Republican Street (as well as a block south at the corner of Fifth Avenue North and Harrison Street).
  
  
• On the right (south) side is the pedestrian entrance to the garage and the foundation’s future visitor learning center.

Republican Street court also offers passers-by a view into the heart of the campus (the rest of the campus will be closed to the public for security reasons). The court will be a connecting point—for people crossing between the public garage and the foundation buildings, for bus riders at the bus stop out front, and for anyone who cares to sit and watch the passing scene at Seattle Center.

Next steps: Open garage, break ground

July 2008 will be a busy month. Once the public parking garage opens in mid-July, we will break ground for the new campus.

Throughout preconstruction and construction periods, here is what drivers and our future Queen Anne neighbors can expect:

• The Seattle Center Fifth Avenue North Parking Garage will be open to the public with 1,021 covered parking spaces.
  
  
• The two garage entrances at Republican and Harrison streets will be open (for both northbound and southbound traffic).
  
  
• Weekly updates on construction activities that may impact the neighborhood will continue to be posted by Sellen Construction (see story below).

Here’s good news for drivers. The Broad Street exit off southbound Highway 99 (Aurora Avenue) has reopened.

Thank you for your patience while crews excavated, built three sewer manholes, and bored a 60-inch sewer line during the temporary closure of the off-ramp.

When foundation employees begin moving into our new headquarters in late 2010, the doors of a visitor learning center will open to the general public.

The outer shell for the street-level facility—built adjacent to the west wall of the Fifth Avenue North public parking garage—is nearly complete. Ahead lies the challenge of creating an inspiring experience for visitors inside the 12,000-square-foot exhibit space.

That's the job of Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA). Founded in 1978, RAA is the largest interpretive-museum design firm in the world. They have built over 125 projects, including the Holocaust Museum and the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.

Creating a learning journey for visitors

At this early stage, here's how designers are envisioning the visitor center.

A storefront-like window facade along Fifth Avenue North will enliven the street and pique public interest. It will also add a unique venue to Seattle’s social and cultural offerings. Once inside:

• People will find a warm, welcoming space that invites guests to stay a while.
  
  
• Exhibits will use media in many forms to illuminate the work of foundation grantees.
  
  
• Interactive exhibits will allow visitors to connect meaningfully to a cause of their choice.
  
  

While we expect many tourists, we imagine a growing community of foundation friends, neighbors, and family who will return with others to continue learning and find out what they can do to improve lives around the world and in their local communities. The center's primary goal is to inspire visitors to action.

Links for further reading

To read more about how designers hope to inspire optimism through the learning journey, visit Bloomberg.com for an interview with architect Ralph Appelbaum.

Visit the Web site of Ralph Appelbaum Associates to view other RAA projects.

Interested in more details about upcoming construction work? You can stay up to speed by reading bulletins posted by Sellen Construction, the project's general contractor.

The bulletins help our future neighbors know what to expect and when to plan for changes around the project site, including street closures.