Seattle, WA
Some West Seattle business owners in 'limbo' due to light rail plan that would demolish their stores
West Seattle businesses face uncertain future due to light rail project
Several West Seattle businesses are being told their stores will be demolished for the latest Light Rail project, with the city only providing $50,000 in relocation assistance.
WEST SEATTLE, Wash. – A number of West Seattle business owners are reacting to a light rail plan that’s slated to wipe out their businesses sometime within the next four years.
An open house with Sound Transit this week drove the message home, with some owners seeing maps and plans for the first time. Although owners have been anticipating that this would happen, they say there is a lot of uncertainty about what’s next.
“We have 30 taps, all locally brewed beer, wine and cider.
After working hard to get Ounces Taproom up and running with a small, but mighty team, owner Laurel Trujillo says she was devastated to learn about plans to demolish the building to make way for the light rail.
“It’s been eight years of my life, eight years of my blood sweat and tears. So it’s a hard reality to be faced with, it’s no longer going to exist in this specific location,” said Trujillo. “The current phase, 2024, there will be a final route decision decided and then, in the next 3-4 years, property acquisition and with that, unfortunately our business is set to be demolished.”
A West Seattle Link Extension map presented during an open house this week shows that Delridge Station will sit smack dab on top of Ounces Taproom. Mode Music Studios and Skylark Cafe, a popular music venue next door, would also be demolished, along with a daycare and a nearby plaza containing Uptown Espresso.
“Who is going to help a small business like us relocate and survive?,” said Trujillo.
Although business owners say Sound Transit has offered $50,000 in relocation assistance, they say the numbers don’t add up to the total expenses they will incur trying to move their businesses.
“It looks like the relocation package that we would actually be offered by Sound Transit is fairly minimal. So, 50 grand, we get from sound transit, and it costs a million to relocate the business. You can kind of do the math there and that’s a lot of money that we don’t have,” said Trujillo.
“We made it through COVID, we kept our brick and mortar the whole time while we were online, then we dealt with the bridge closure, there is a lot we’ve had to endure,” said Erin Rubin, owner of Mode Music Studios and Founder and Managing Director of Mode Music and Performing Arts.
Rubin says after a tough few years, relocating 500 students and music teachers seems like a daunting challenge. She says her students will also lose the Skylark stage next door, which welcomed them to play all-ages shows.
“It’s a community space for sure, but a place where families can come,” Rubin said. “We have a daycare behind us that has very specific permitting, so there are a lot of families affected here for sure.”
She says additionally, businesses won’t have access to any relocation funds until Sound Transit gives them the green light, leaving them in limbo for the time being.
“We have to wait until they tell us to move and in that time, we may lose the perfect space,” said Rubin.
“Who is going to help a small business like us relocate and survive?”, said Trujillo. “We are committed to relocating ounces, and or us currently, that means when our property is acquired, we would work with Sound Transit to hopefully successfully relocate our business.”
Sound Transit provided a link online for those who have questions about the project.
“If you’re a resident, business or property owner near a potential WSLE route or station alternative, visiting the project’s Online Open House and signing up for email updates are the first steps to ensuring you are up to speed on the project. If you have any questions or you would like to set up a meeting to learn more, contact the project team at westseattlelink@soundtransit.org.
The Sound Transit Board will make a final decision on routes, stations and the project to be built after a final EIS is published for WSLE.”
Thanks to Carrie Brown for the westward view of our Saturday night sunset. The high today hit 68 at the airport – eight degrees above normal – but nowhere near the record for this date, which was 89 degrees back in 2016. The forecast suggests two more days of partly sunny, almost-70-degree weather, before the chance of rain returns.
CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling New York Mets placed former Seattle Mariners second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist contusion.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Robles, Vargas and more
The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Polanco went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old Polanco is batting .179 (10 for 56) with a homer and two RBIs in his first season with New York, which has lost nine straight.
“When doctors first took a look at him, it looked like he got hit by a pitch when he didn’t,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “In talking to him, it was just a couple of swings that he took that night. … He didn’t think much of it, but just got worse the following day.
“So you just got to let it calm down a little bit and then we’ll go from there. But we don’t have a timetable for how long this is going to last.”
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets in December, also has been dealing with an ankle issue.
“He was trending in the right direction,” Mendoza said of the ankle injury. “It’s definitely going to help, obviously now with him being shut down. But the biggest thing now is that we’ve got to take care of that wrist.”
Polanco spent the previous two seasons with the Mariners, who acquired him in a February 2024 trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Polanco struggled during his first season with Seattle in 2024, hitting just .213 with 16 homers in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn’t become public knowledge until after the season.
But after the Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought him back for a one-year contract in 2025, Polanco rebounded to hit .265 with 26 homers and an .821 OPS in 138 games last season. He then added three homers during Seattle’s playoff run, along with a 15th-inning walkoff single in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that sent the Mariners to their first ALCS in 24 years.
Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment
Seattle, WA
Brandon Nimmo hits leadoff homer, Jacob deGrom works 4 scoreless as Rangers beat Seattle Mariners 5-0
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 17: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff home run, Jacob deGrom threw four shutout innings and Gavin Collyer earned his first career win as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
Seattle lost its fourth straight game, and was shut out for the fourth time in 21 games, falling to 8-13. The Mariners were shut out six times during the 2025 season. Texas won its third straight game.
Nimmo led off the game with a 372-foot shot to right field off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (1-3). It was Nimmo’s 16th career leadoff homer and second of the season. He also hit a leadoff home run on April 11 in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
DeGrom effectively maneuvered through Seattle’s lineup, and worked out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The two-time Cy Young Award winner recorded two of his three strikeouts after walking Josh Naylor to load the bases. Randy Arozarena fanned on a curveball, and Luke Raley swung through a fastball.
Texas added to its lead after Nimmo’s homer. Wyatt Langford’s single to left scored Corey Seager, who led off the third inning with a double. The Rangers stretched the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jake Burger in the seventh.
The Mariners’ best scoring chance came in the sixth after Collyer (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, left the game.
J.P. Crawford singled to left off Tyler Alexander with two out, and Mariners third base coach Carlos Cardoza sent Naylor from second base, but he was thrown out by Langford.
Texas added two more runs in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI double by Josh Jung.
Seattle third baseman Brendan Donovan left the game early due to a left hip issue.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who started the year on the injured list with a left oblique injury, was at T-Mobile Park for the first time this season. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday.
Up next
Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 3.25) will face Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Saturday afternoon.
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