For Immediate Release - December 10, 2004
From transit to transportation, from HOPE VI to Life Sciences, from after school programs to Native American health, from environmental restoration to preserving history, Congressman Jim McDermott (WA 7th) played a key role in ensuring that multiple appropriations for Seattle and King County were authorized during the just completed Congress.
"There are always more worthy projects and programs than funding," McDermott said, "but we did our very best to see that many of the 7th Congressional District's most important priorities received as much federal money as possible."
In making the announcement, McDermott released a partial list of the local projects and programs to receive federal dollars:
Alaskan Way Viaduct and Elliot Bay Seawall: $1 million for the Viaduct and $270,000 for the Seawall. The funding for the Viaduct will help design proceed on schedule on the Preferred Plan and meet the goal of construction advertisement in early 2007. The $270,000 for the Seawall will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to complete the second year of its feasibility study for reconstruction and repair.
McDermott noted that he is pursuing a two-pronged strategy for acquiring federal funding for the Viaduct. Besides on-going appropriations to keep design on schedule, McDermott is working closely with the Washington delegation and Congressional leaders to get the Alaskan Way Viaduct included in the Highway Bill reauthorization next year and designated as a project of regional or national significance. Such a designation would qualify the Viaduct for significantly larger amounts of federal funding in the future.
"Privately, I have always supported the tunnel alternative to replace the Viaduct, but I withheld my opinion until now because I felt it was important for my constituents to decide," McDermott said. "Not only will we have a new Alaskan Way Viaduct someday, we will have greater access to Elliott Bay. I am delighted that Seattle overwhelmingly supports the tunnel alternative."
White Center HOPE VI Project: The King County Boys and Girls Club will use the $72,750 to renovate the Greenbridge Community Center at the HOPE VI project in the White Center neighborhood and provide recreation and after-school programs to teens. In addition, space in the renovated community center will be provided to nonprofit organizations offering education and family support services to the community.
Maury Island: The $1.5 million will be used to acquire and preserve about 300 acres of rural, coastal land, including one mile of coastline, threatened by gravel extraction. This is the second year McDermott has secured funding for the Maury Island project.
Seattle Indian Health Board: SIHB will use the $300,000 to support their Family Medicine Residency Program. The program is designed to train family physicians for careers in service to Native American Indians and low-income populations. The program addresses the shortage of highly skilled and culturally competent primary care providers to address health disparities that affect American Indians, other minorities, and the low-income/uninsured population.
One World Now!: One World Now! is an innovative and comprehensive after-school program offering classes in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic- two rarely taught languages that are increasingly important to our national security- to students of low-income and minority backgrounds. Aside from language classes, One World Now! also provides leadership and cultural workshops, internship placements and summer study abroad opportunities. The $250,000 (plus $200,000 to the TIDES Center) will allow the program to expand.
University of Washington- Life Sciences II Building and DART program: The $1.5 million will be used to construct the University of Washington's Life Sciences II building, which will house the Department of Bioengineering currently located in nine separate locations across campus. The new building will include instructional research laboratories, offices for faculty, students and staff, academic advising and administration. This is the second year Jim has secured funding for this project. The $340,000 (plus $50,000 for Wyoming to participate) for the DART program will enable UW to expand this program designed to address the shortage of primary care doctors in rural areas.
Asian Counseling and Referral Service: ACRS will use funding to develop a new building. The $72,750 will help fund the capital project, allowing ACRS to serve the rapidly growing Asian Pacific American (APA) community while expanding and making more accessible its multicultural, multilingual behavioral health and human services.
King County Metro Clean Air Buses: Rep. McDermott and other Representatives from King County worked together to secure $5 million for King County to acquire and operate its clean air bus fleet. McDermott, a strong advocate for mass transit and efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil, noted the federal funds would enable King County to dramatically lower air pollution emitted from burning fossil fuels, and save hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel (and the associated costs) every year.
EMP (Experience Music Project): The $430,000 will be used to develop an Oral History Program that creates a living archive of interviews with musicians, producers, and key players that have helped shape American popular music. This archive will be made available for use by scholars, students, educators, journalists, and museum curators, enabling them to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the rich tradition of music in America and beyond.
In addition, McDermott played a key role in obtaining funding for a number of Seattle area transportation projects including:
$80 million for Sound Transit, $1 million to improve the crossing path on Elliott Avenue and the BNSF railroad tracks for the future site of the new Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park; $1 million for Phase 2 of the SR 519 Intermodal Access project; $1.5 million for improvements at the SR 518/509 interchange; $1 million for the South Lake Union Streetcar system; $1 million for SR 520; $2 million for a Park and Ride facility on First Hill for Swedish Hospital patients and employees; $1 million for expansion of the Southcenter Parkway; and, $500,000 for the Interurban Trail.
In social services and education, the 7th District Democrat was instrumental in securing federal funds for several important local projects, including: $200,000 for the City of Burien to develop a senior center; $500,000 for renovating the Cooper School in Delridge into low-income work/living studios; $250,000 for Highline Community College to build a Marine and Science Technology Center; and $200,00 for the Puget Sound Center to expand TechREACH- a program that targets low-income groups and girls for science, technology, engineering, and math education.
In environmental protection and restoration, McDermott was a leader in the successful effort to federally fund several Puget Sound area programs, including: $1.25 million for the Duwamish/Green River ecosystem restoration; $450,00 for the Lake Washington Ship Canal; $525,000 for the Puget Sound Near-shore; $500,000 for Puget Sound Adjacent Waters; and $150,000 for rehabilitation of the Seahurst Park Seawall.
"It takes commitment and teamwork to ensure that projects and programs like these get noticed and funded," McDermott said. "I'm proud to say we worked closely with Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Rep. Norm Dicks and other members of the delegation, Republican and Democrat, to see these programs included by the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate."
McDermott said in coming weeks he would work closely with local elected officials and constituents to formulate new priorities for the next session of Congress, in 2005.
Revision date: May 10, 2005
