Fort Lawton Reserve Center
Fort Lawton: How We Got Here
Timeline
2005 — Fort Lawton selected for closure
Congress approved the closure of the Fort Lawton Army Reserve Center under the federal Base Realignment and Closure process. The Army subsequently determined that the approximately 34-acre property was surplus to federal needs. The land nevertheless remained federally owned. Friends of Discovery Park (FoDP) ask the City to include a “parks-only” option in their considerations.
2006–2008 — City prepares its first redevelopment plan
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designated the City of Seattle as the Local Redevelopment Authority responsible for preparing a reuse plan for the property.
The City conducted a public planning process and proposed approximately 216 residences, including market-rate housing, affordable homeownership, and housing for formerly homeless people. The City Council approved the plan in September 2008 and submitted it for federal review. FoDP again asks for a “Parks only” option Seattle Housing Authority
2009–2010 — Court requires a full EIS
The Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council, led by Elizabeth Campbell, challenged the adequacy of the City’s environmental review. In 2010, the Washington Court of Appeals agreed and ruled that the City could not proceed without preparing a full Environmental Impact Statement. Note, Campbell was not—and is not—affiliated with Friends of Discovery Park or the Magnolia Community Council.
2011 — Army Reserve Center formally closes
The Fort Lawton Army Reserve Center officially closed in September 2011. The property remained under Army ownership while the disposal and redevelopment process continued. FoDP requests the City include a “parks only” option.
2012 — Federal environmental assessment completed
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a federal Environmental Assessment addressing the proposed disposal and reuse of Fort Lawton.
2017 — City begins leasing the property
Effective January 1, 2017, the City began leasing Fort Lawton from the United States Army. The lease ran through December 31, 2021.
The Secretary of the Army was the formal lessor, with the lease administered through the Seattle District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It allowed Seattle to use the property for administration, training, storage, and minor maintenance while redevelopment planning continued.
Instead of paying conventional rent, the City assumed responsibility for security, utilities, insurance, groundskeeping, stormwater assessments, and other caretaker expenses. The lease did not transfer ownership to Seattle. Original Army lease
2017–2018 — City prepares a full EIS
The City issued a Draft EIS in 2017 and a Final EIS in March 2018, evaluating the environmental effects of several redevelopment alternatives.
2018 — Campbell challenges the completed EIS
Campbell and the Discovery Park Community Alliance appealed the adequacy of the Final EIS. This was separate from Campbell’s successful 2009–2010 case. In November 2018, the Seattle Hearing Examiner dismissed the new appeal and upheld the EIS. Hearing Examiner case record
2019 — City approves an updated redevelopment plan
The City Council approved an updated redevelopment plan containing approximately 237 affordable homes, including supportive housing, affordable rentals, and affordable homeownership, together with additional parkland.
2019–2021 — Additional litigation
Campbell and the Discovery Park Community Alliance filed another lawsuit challenging the approved redevelopment plan. Friends of Discovery Park was not a party to that case. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2021. Separately, in April 2020, FoDP took over an existing legal challenge concerning impacts to the nearby great blue heron colony under an earlier redevelopment proposal.
December 2021 — Army renews the City’s lease
After the original lease expired, the City entered into a new interim lease with the Army. The renewed agreement consisted of an initial one-year term with four optional one-year extensions, potentially allowing the lease to continue through December 2026.
The Army Corps of Engineers continued to administer the lease. Seattle remained responsible for all holding and caretaker costs, which HUD estimated in 2023 at approximately $700,000 annually.
In its correspondence with Seattle, HUD identified concerns about the lengthy development schedule and the lack of clarity regarding the availability of sufficient funding to complete the project. HUD granted the City additional time to evaluate alternatives and provide the information required for federal review. HUD’s November 2023 letter
2024 — FoDP ends its separate legal action
Friends of Discovery Park voluntarily dropped its separate lawsuit concerning potential harm to the nearby great blue heron colony. The case did not proceed, and FoDP has taken no further legal action. They again emphasize the importance of the “parks-only” option and request that it be included in the City’s formal planning.
2025 — City substantially enlarges the proposal
The Office of Housing increased the proposed development from approximately 237 homes to as many as 500 affordable housing units. The revised proposal also called for transferring almost 22 acres to Seattle Parks and Recreation.
The City issued a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and accepted public comments. HUD approved portions of the City’s federal application, but ownership of the property was not transferred. At public meetings, FoDP demands a “parks only” option be included in the City’s deliberations.
2026 — Second Draft Supplemental EIS issued
Responding to public comments, the City issued a second Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. It evaluates three alternatives:
- Alternative 1: Build 500 affordable housing units at Fort Lawton, with associated roads, parking, utilities, and parkland at a total estimated cost of $285 million in 2024 dollars (infrastructure + construction costs).
- Alternative 2: Preserve the entire Fort Lawton as part of Discovery Park at a total of less than $5 million in 2019 dollars (Fort Lawton building demolition + rewilding costs) and build the same 500 unit affordable and formerly homeless housing units at Stone Avenue North and North 130th Street.
- Alternative 3: Take no action and leave existing conditions substantially unchanged. City continues to lease the property at a cost of $700,000 per year terminates its lease agreement.
Where Matters Stand Today
The City has leased and maintained Fort Lawton since 2017, but it has never owned the property. The United States Army remains the legal owner, and the Army Corps of Engineers administers Seattle’s interim lease.
Before ownership can be conveyed, the City must complete the federal Base Realignment and Closure process and obtain the necessary federal approvals. This requires more than a general redevelopment concept. The City must provide a sufficiently detailed and implementable plan addressing the proposed uses, development partners, schedule, infrastructure, costs, and credible sources of financing.
Despite working on Fort Lawton redevelopment since 2008, the City has not yet completed all the federal requirements necessary for conveyance. Major questions about infrastructure costs, financing, development responsibilities, and implementation have remained unresolved. HUD has repeatedly requested additional information and granted extensions while the City revised its plans.
The continuing interim lease is evidence that the conveyance process remains incomplete. Until federal approval of the City’s plan is completed and the Army executes the necessary conveyance documents, Seattle remains a tenant responsible for only maintaining property it does not own and cannot build upon.
The long delay should not be attributed to “neighborhood” opposition or litigation. A central reason Fort Lawton has not been transferred or developed is that the City has not yet advanced a complete, financially credible, and implementable plan through the federal approval and property-transfer process.