[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 148 (Friday, July 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46212-46213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16553]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Transfer of Federally Assisted Facility

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), United States Department 
of Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to Transfer Federally-Assisted Land or 
facility.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing this 
Notice to advise Federal agencies that the Central Puget Sound Regional 
Transit Authority (Sound Transit) intends to transfer the land portions 
of 20 parcels (Subject Properties) to the Seattle Office of Housing. 
Federal public transportation law delegated to the Federal Transit 
Administrator permits the Administrator of the Federal Transit 
Administration to authorize a recipient of FTA funds to transfer land 
or a facility to a public body for any public purpose with no further 
obligation to the Federal Government (the Government) if, among other 
things, no Federal agency is interested in acquiring the asset for 
Federal use.

DATES: Any Federal agency interested in acquiring the facility must 
notify the FTA Region X office of its interest no later than August 31, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should notify the Regional Office by 
writing to Linda Gehrke, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit 
Administration, 915 Second Ave, Federal Building Suite 3142, Seattle, 
WA 98174-1002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Montgomery, Attorney-Advisor, 
(202) 366-1017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sound Transit used these locations as 
staging areas for light rail construction and to widen the street 
right-of-way. The parcels have been vacant for over ten years, and 
Sound Transit determined it no longer needs the land for public 
transportation purposes. The parcels are all located within Seattle 
Washington parcel locations are 4804 Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr Way 
S.; 4804 32nd Ave S; 4810 MLK Jr Way S.; 4851 MLK Jr Way S.; 4853 MLK 
Jr Way S.; 4859 MLK Jr Way S.; 4736 31st Ave S.; 4742 MLK Jr Way S.; 
4733 MLK Jr Way S.; 4735 MLK Jr Way S.; 4741 MLK Jr Way S.; 4203 S. 
Kenyon St.; 7908 MLK Jr Way S.; 6740 MLK Jr Way S.; 3601 MLK Jr Way S.; 
4865 MLK Jr Way S; 3112 S. Ferdinand St.; 3201 S. Ferdinand St.; 5042 
MLK Jr Way S.; 6701 MLK Jr Way S.
    Sound Transit requests FTA approval to transfer the Subject 
Properties to the City of Seattle's Office of Housing, if no Federal 
agency is interested in acquiring the asset for Federal use. The City 
of Seattle's Office of Housing has dedicated $11 million to work with 
affordable housing developers to convert the Subject Properties into 
approximately 200 permanently affordable housing units, as defined by 
Washington State's statute RCW 81.112.350. This transfer also would 
satisfy Sound Transit's statutory requirement to dispose or transfer 
surplus property to qualified entities to develop affordable housing.

Background

    Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5334(h)) provides 
guidance on the transfer of capital assets. Specifically, if a 
recipient of FTA assistance decides an asset acquired with assistance 
under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53 is no longer needed for the purpose for 
which it was acquired, the Secretary of Transportation may authorize 
the recipient to transfer the asset to a local governmental authority 
to be used for a public purpose with no further obligation to the 
Government. 49 U.S.C. 5334(h)(1).

Determinations

    The FTA Administrator may authorize a transfer for a public purpose 
other than mass transportation only if the FTA Administrator decides:
    (A) The asset will remain in public use for at least five (5) years 
after the date the asset is transferred;
    (B) There is no purpose eligible for assistance under Chapter 53 of 
title 49, United States Code, for which the asset should be used;
    (C) The overall benefit of allowing the transfer is greater than 
the interest of the Government in liquidation and return of the 
financial interest of the Government in the asset, after considering 
fair market value and other factors; and
    (D) Through an appropriate screening or survey process, that there 
is no interest in acquiring the asset for

[[Page 46213]]

Government use if the asset is a facility or land.
    The FTA Administrator has determined that the above requirements 
(A), (B), and (C) have been met; this Notice is issued pursuant to 
requirement (D).

Federal Interest in Acquiring Land or Facility

    This Notice implements the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5334(h)(1)(D). 
Accordingly, FTA hereby provides notice of the availability of the 
Subject Properties further described below. Any Federal agency 
interested in acquiring the Subject Properties should promptly notify 
the FTA. If no Federal agency is interested in acquiring the Subject 
Properties, FTA will transfer the properties.

Additional Description of Land or Facility

    The Subject Properties are currently vacant land. The Subject 
Properties are between 1,400- 14,000 square feet, each as follows: 4804 
MLK Jr Way S. 4,275 sq ft; 4804 32nd Ave S. 3,556 sq ft; 4810 MLK Jr 
Way S. 2,961 sq ft; 4851 MLK Jr Way S. 2,184 sq ft; 4853 MLK Jr Way S. 
1,744 sq ft; 4859 MLK Jr Way S. 4,631 sq ft; 4736 31st Ave S. 4,655 sq 
ft; 4742 MLK Jr Way S. 2,036 sq ft; 4733 MLK Jr Way S. 1,815 sq ft; 
4735 MLK Jr Way S. 1,428 sq ft; 4741 MLK Jr Way S. 4,522 sq ft; 4203 S. 
Kenyon St. 4,526 sq ft; 7908 MLK Jr Way S. 5,892 sq ft; 6740 MLK Jr Way 
S. 8,439 sq ft; 3601 MLK Jr Way S. 13,164 sq ft; 4865 MLK Jr Way S 
3,292 sq ft; 3112 S. Ferdinand St. 1,845 sq ft; 3201 S. Ferdinand St. 
3,776 sq ft; 5042 MLK Jr Way S. 2,387 sq ft; 6701 MLK Jr Way S. 8,341 
sq ft.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5334(h).

K. Jane Williams,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-16553 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am]
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