The Chief Sealth Trail has an interesting origin. Construction of the Link Light Rail tunnel through Beacon Hill generated tons of excavated soil in 2004. Rather than truck the soil away at great expense, mileage and pollution, RCI/Herzog construction offered to build the trail with the fill.
According the the City of Seattle's website:
The City welcomed this innovative construction approach as it resulted in a major savings of taxpayer dollars and it provides the City with a new trail within a reduced timeframe—at least two years earlier than was originally envisioned. Over the summer of 2004, SDOT worked hard to design and acquire all required permits for the trail and with Sound Transit, completed the environmental analysis. In May 2007, RCI/Herzog and SDOT completed the trail along the Seattle City Light right of way.
Now the Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is looking to pretty up the trail. They've put out a call for a professional artist to create a three-dimensional, permanent outdoor artwork for the Chief Sealth Trail, which will be extended to the west of Beacon Avenue South this summer, with completion expected by the end of the year. The artwork will be located where the trail cuts around Beacon Avenue South at South Dawson Street, somewhere around here:
The selected artist will develop a design that responds to the site, taking into consideration visibility and the motion of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The artwork will enliven the streetscape and the trail, and will mark the trail's location.
The gig pays $50,000. Interested? Read on...
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