Federal Way Link Extension: New Stations

On December 6, Sound Transit will open the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE). This extension will add three new stations along eight miles of new track south of Angle Lake station. The stations are Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown. Each station will feature connections to local bus service, pickup and drop-off areas, and lots of parking. Wesley Lin discussed the walkability of each station in a previous article.

Northbound Link train near Kent Des Moines stationKent Des Moines Station

The northernmost new station, Kent Des Moines, is located southeast of Pacific Hwy S & S Kent Des Moines Rd. The area around the station includes Highline College, car-oriented big box stores, a self-storage facility, and I-5. Excluding Highline College, these are far from ideal land uses around a Link station. Sound Transit and the City of Kent plan to develop two plots immediately west of the station, previously used for construction staging.

Map of the two TOD sites near Kent Des Moines station (Sound Transit)

The north plot will be developed into 230 affordable units managed by Mercy Housing Northwest. A development team has not been selected for the south block. Kent has zoned most of the land around the Link station as Midway Transit Community-2 (MTC-2). MTC-2 districts allow buildings up to 200ft tall and should provide a place and create environmental conditions which will promote the location of dense and varied retail, office, or residential activities, and recreational activities in support of rapid light rail and mass transit options, to ensure a primarily pedestrian-oriented character, and to implement the goals and policies of the Midway Subarea Plan" (KCC 15.03).

Part of the north plot and Kent Des Moines station

While few dense retail, office, or residential uses exist in the area around Kent Des Moines station today, more will be built over the next decade. Until then, many of the station's riders will use the newly built 500-space parking garage between the station and I-5. Once Metro's South Link Connection restructure is implemented (likely in March 2026), Kent Des Moines station will be served by routes 156, 164, 166, and the A Line.

Star Lake StationPedestrian entrance to Star Lake station. The parking garage is on the left, the station is on the right.

Nestled northwest of S 272nd St and I-5, Star Lake is the second new station opening next month. The station's namesake lake is located southeast of S 272nd St and I-5, about a 20 minute walk away. Star Lake station is surrounded by low density residential neighborhoods, green space, and I-5. The area around the station is primarily zoned for Neighborhood Residential 2 and 3 which allow single-family, multiplexes, multifamily dwellings, courtyard apartments, and stacked flats. Sound Transit has not allocated an surplus land for development. Instead, the station's construction staging area is now a kiss-and-ride with 15 minute parking. Passengers can get to Star Lake station on Metro Route 183, be dropped off at the kiss-and-ride, or park in the new 1,100-space parking garage.

The areas near Star Lake station leave much to be desired. The other side of the station is consumed by I-5.Federal Way Downtown StationTown Square Park and Federal Way Downtown station

Federal Way Downtown will likely be the busiest new station. Located above the recently moved Federal Way Transit Center, riders will have easy transfers to/from a plethora of ST Express, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit bus routes. The Commons at Federal Way shopping mall is just south of the station, across S 320th St. Numerous other shops and restaurants are located within a 20 minute walk.

Sound Transit is working with the City of Federal Way to develop six acres across four blocks immediately west of the station. Development proposals for two of the sites (1 and 2) are being reviewed by Sound Transit. The other two sites (3 and 4) are contaminated and will need to be remediated before development. North of the parking garage, Trent Development will be building up to 1,600 new apartments along with lots of new office and retail space. This project will be built in phases between 2027 and 2042. For Link passengers who plan on driving to Federal Way Downtown station, Sound Transit has expanded the existing transit center parking garage to now have about 1,600 spaces.

Planned development near Federal Way Downtown station (Sound Transit, edited by the author).

The Federal Way Link Extension is the second to last major Link extension this decade. The three new stops will make it easier for thousands of south King County residents to access downtown Seattle, UW, Rainier Valley, and many other destinations in Puget Sound. The areas around the new stations are underwhelming today, but have lots of potential for new, dense development. The success of these stations depends on new homes, shops, and offices being built nearby. Now it is up to the cities of Kent, Des Moines, and Federal Way to encourage and foster new development projects.

More Federal Way Link Extension Opening Coverage

Federal Way Link Extension: Opening Celebration Details

Federal Way Link Extension: How We Got Here