Union Station Restoration

Location: Seattle, WA

After 25 years of vacancy, Seattle’s 1911 Union Station was selected as the new headquarters for Sound Transit, creating an opportunity to return one of the city’s significant civic landmarks to active use. As Project and Preservation Architect, Ron led the rehabilitation of the Beaux-Arts station, balancing restoration of its historic spaces and materials with the infrastructure required for a contemporary public facility. The work included restoration of the Great Hall, historic windows, masonry, roof, and skylights alongside new fire protection, HVAC, electrical, and seismic systems. Ron coordinated these interventions with the Pioneer Square and International District historic boards to ensure conformance with National Park Service standards. During construction, he also worked directly with the contractor to address unknown existing conditions, leading design solutions in real time while protecting the building’s historic character and meeting contemporary performance and code requirements. The completed rehabilitation returned the long-vacant landmark to active use as Sound Transit’s headquarters while preserving the Great Hall as a significant civic gathering space and connecting the building’s historic transportation legacy to the region’s contemporary transit system.

The restored Great Hall, dedicated as the Joni Earl Great Hall in 2017, stands as an iconic cornerstone of Seattle’s public spaces. The majestic, barrel-vaulted ceiling and restored period light fixtures help make it one of Seattle’s most significant civic interiors, serving as both a ceremonial public gathering space and the front door to the region’s transit network. Today, Sound Transit serves 134,000 riders per day and 42 million passengers annually. The project received a 2000 National Trust for Historic Preservation Award and Washington State recognition for outstanding rehabilitation and was documented nationally by the National Trust as a model for adaptive reuse in public infrastructure.