Business owners in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood excited for new Link light rail station

Roosevelt Station, along with the new Link light rail stations in Seattle’s University District and Northgate, will open on October 2nd.

SEATTLE – Sound Transit’s new Link Light Rail Station in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood opens on Saturday, October 2nd, and business owners in the area say they are ready to see a surge in pedestrian traffic.

Roosevelt Station is on the corner of 12th Avenue and 65th Street. The station allows drivers to travel south to Sea-Tac Airport and north to Northgate.

Companies have had almost 10 years of construction while Sound Transit has been working to expand its Link light rail service. Muhammad Uddin owns Bengal Tiger Cuisine of India restaurant in the Roosevelt neighborhood and said construction has taken its toll.

“It was a really difficult moment for this neighborhood because of the parking problem,” he said. Uddin’s restaurant, which he opened in 1997, is hidden in the shadow of new, modern apartment buildings. He said the area has changed quite a bit since his restaurant opened.

“I saw it all. There was a QFC, a lot of small buildings here and a lot of high-rise buildings now,” said Uddin.

Now, after years of planning and construction, the Roosevelt Link light rail is about to open, with a picture of Uddin and other people in the neighborhood on display at the entrance.

“All of my clients say, ‘Hey, good job staying here. You will do a lot of business. A lot of people will be from all over town,'” said Uddin.

“Every neighborhood in Seattle is special,” said Sound Transit spokesman John Gallagher. “It really gives people the opportunity to explore these neighborhoods.”

The new Roosevelt station will represent a piece of the past. The old standard radio sign, which has long been a fixture in the neighborhood, will also shine in the new transmitter.

“We’ve restored it, renovated it. It looks fabulous. And it’s a reminder of what the neighborhood is all about and what we can celebrate here,” said Gallagher.

According to Sound Transit, light rail drivers can get to the Roosevelt neighborhood from downtown Seattle in 14 minutes.

Roosevelt Station, along with the new Link light rail stations in Seattle’s University District and Northgate, will open on October 2nd.