Harborview Bond Program

Over time, Harborview's facilities have expanded and changed to meet the demands of a growing and diverse population, as well as advancements in the fields of patient care, research, medicine, and technology. The voters of King County support the capital infrastructure needs of the hospital through approval of bond funding measures, providing for these improvements and expansions through voter-approved financing, generally occurring every 15 to 20 years.

The medical center's facilities are aging and outdated in terms of modern medical best practice standards for infection control and privacy. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital operated at more than 100 percent capacity daily. Facility configuration and capacity constraints significantly impact hospital operations, resulting in virtually no vital surge capacity (ability to house more patients in the event of an emergency), no capacity for growth, and limited flexibility for hospital operations. The older structures on the campus require seismic upgrades to address life-safety risks during a major earthquake.

Planned Bond Funded Improvements

In November 2020, King County voters approved issuing up to $1.74 billion in phased general obligation bond funding over 20 years for health and safety improvements at King County's Harborview Medical Center campus, including a clinic in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Bond-funded facility improvements may include:

• Construction of a new ten-story tower (base tower) with seven finished and three shelled floors
• Construction of essential services currently located in older hospital spaces requiring renovation
• Expansion of County spaces located in older hospital facilities

Key Tasks

To expedite the facility improvements, several key tasks occur concurrently and drive towards procurement for design and construction of the new tower:

1. MIMP: Major Institutions Master Plan
2. Space Programming: Phasing and design standards
3. Infrastructure Master Plan
4. Early Work: Property acquisition, interim parking, geotechnical work
5. Cost Analysis: Scope and budget alignment
6. RFP Development: New tower bid

Work Phases

To accomplish the bond goals, the Program will complete six phases of work, from startup to construction.

1. Bond Program Start-up
2. Project Phasing
3. Pre-Design
4. Design
5. Permits and Regulatory Approval
6. Construction

In October 2023, the King County Council approved the Program Plan for the Harborview Bond Program that includes four bond goals. The Implementation Advisory Committee (IAC), the City of Seattle's Standing Advisory (Neighborhood) Committee, endorsed a letter to the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections supporting the bond goals.

Project Updates

The Harborview Bond Program is a special project within King County's Facilities Management Division (FMD). The program publishes regular dashboards to share progress. In addition, the County Executive provides regular reports to the County Council on the status of the program, as does FMD. For additional reports, search for "Harborview Bond Program" on Legistar.