McGinn wants voters to approve $241 million to replace sea wall

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said this morning he wants to ask voters in May to approve a $241 million bond measure to fund replacement of the city's sea wall.

If voters approve, the owner of a $400,000 home would pay $48 more a year, he said.

The sea wall has been deteriorating for several years, creating the risk that soil could someday become unstable beneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct and other waterfront structures. State plans currently call for the sea wall to be replaced in 2016.

"I don't believe that's acceptable," he said. "We need to move faster than that to replace the sea wall," McGinn said during a news conference on the waterfront.

Under McGinn's proposal, the new sea wall would be completed in four years instead of six.

The project — which would erect a stronger and deeper sea wall — is estimated to cost about $291 million.

The city already had planned to pay for the replacement as part of an agreement with the state to replace the viaduct with a tunnel. In that $4.2 billion plan, the state will pay for the underground roadway and the city will pitch in about $900 million for the sea wall replacement, waterfront park and promenade, and other infrastructure improvements.

Previous administrations had hoped that federal grants might help with the sea wall cost, but no large-scale federal aid has been made available.

Besides the $241 million in bonds, the project budget assumes $18 million in city general and utility funds, and $32 million in King County flood-control funds, for a total $291 million, said city Finance Director Beth Goldberg.

City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the council's transportation committee, said he supports speeding up the sea wall replacement, but said it's important that it not be made a separate issue from the overall tunnel project.

"We have to make sure we understand how this fits in with the whole viaduct-replacement project," said Rasmussen. "I want to make sure that he's thought that through."

During the news conference, McGinn wouldn't answer questions about the viaduct.

"This is not about the viaduct except as it relates to safety," McGinn said.

During his campaign, McGinn was outspoken in his opposition to the tunnel as a viaduct replacement. But he has said he won't stand in the way of the project, which has the support of the Seattle City Council, the Legislature and the governor.

Council President Richard Conlin said he doesn't see how speeding up the sea wall project would interfere with plans for a tunnel.

"The basic concern was a safety issue," he said.

Emily Heffter: 206-850-5970 or eheffter@seattletimes.com.