Apparently Pacific Northwest contractors are eager to get involved in a once-in-a-generation development project. More than 50 people representing nearly 30 companies attended a Monday “pre-proposal” meeting for the contracts to build Capitol Hill’s Broadway light rail station.

In addition to a briefing on the requirements and scope of the project, the contractors were taken on a tour of the site on Broadway between John and Denny.

“Meetings and site visits like this give the contracting community a great opportunity to learn more about the job, requirements, site conditions/constraints, etc. when they’re preparing their proposals,” ST rep Bruce Gray tells CHS. “We’re very happy with the level of interest in this job and look forward to getting underway with the next stages of construction.”

One particularly interesting set of entries Included on the roster of attendees were representatives from SKANSKA USA. The progressive global construction firm recently began to expand its already wide horizons to include real estate development in its arsenal, allowing it to both build and develop promising properties. CHS has been told that SKANSKA reps have already expressed interest in handling the Broadway “transit oriented development.”

A section of the sign-in sheet from Monday’s meeting reveals some of the players

In the meantime, the process to develop Sound Transit’s property around the station continues at the political level. We’ve reported recently on the city’s effort to establish community priorities outlined in the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station Site Urban Design Framework in the Sound Transit requirements for the TOD.

The Sound Transit process to select from the contractors for the construction part of the job will play out as the final proposals come in by the September 20th deadline:

Sound  Transit is requesting Statements of Qualifications and Proposed Approach (SOQ/PA)  from interested parties  to provide General Contractor/Construction Manager Services for the construction of the Capitol Hill Station project. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, construction of below grade structures; construction of cut and cover pedestrian concourse; detension tiebacks; construction of above grade station entrances, ancillary spaces, ventilation structures; furnish and install station interior finishes; furnish, install and commission mechanical, electrical, ventilation, and wet and dry fire suppression systems; removal of temporary E Denny Way bridge; construction of final underground structure at Pine St retrieval shaft.  The ULink project consists of approximately 3.15 miles of double-track LRT line between the Pine Street Stub Tunnel in Downtown Seattle and new stations at Capitol Hill and the University of Washington.  The ULink LRT line is routed in an  underground configuration with two bored tunnels and two cut-and-cover stations:  one at Capitol Hill and one at the University of Washington campus near Husky Stadium.  The estimated completion date is September 2015.

Earlier this month, CHS reported that DPD’s approval of Sound Transit’s land use application for the project put the start of construction on target for 2013.