Seattle Center Campus Green Stormwater Retrofit

Herrera evaluated several options to mitigate stormwater runoff at Seattle Center, which serves as a 74 acre, public gathering space in the heart of Seattle. The master plan for the Center’s campus includes aggressive goals for sustainability and emphasizes managing stormwater runoff. Roofs on the Center’s buildings make up a large, impervious area that contributes stormwater to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into Lake Union. We assessed bioretention, permeable pavement, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting as mitigation options. Working with King County, we identified, evaluated, and developed concept-level designs for green stormwater retrofit projects on the Seattle Center campus that could both reduce CSOs and help the Center meet its sustainability goals.