Harborview Bond Program
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About Harborview
Harborview Medical Center (Harborview or HMC) is owned by King County and operated by University of Washington Medicine (UW Medicine). It is a comprehensive 540-bed regional health care facility located in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood dedicated to providing specialized care for a broad spectrum of patients, the control of illness, and the promotion and restoration of health. The hospital is the only Level 1 trauma center in the state of Washington, and serves trauma patients from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington State. Harborview, in cooperation with UW Medicine, plans and coordinates with Public Health - Seattle & King County, other County agencies, community providers, and hospitals to provide programs and services.
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The medical center's facilities are aging and outdated in terms of modern medical best practice standards for infection control and privacy.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 than100 percent capacity on a daily basis. 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 10-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
To expedite the facility improvements, several key tasks occur concurrently and drive towards procurement for design and construction of the new tower:
Bond Project Updates
To accomplish the bond goals, the Program will complete six phases of work, from startup to construction.
The Bond Program publishes regular dashboards to share progress:
2024 2023
The Executive provided the following written reports to the King County Council on the status of the Harborview Bond Program:
The Harborview Bond Program is a special project within King County's Facilities Management Division (FMD). FMD provided the following written reports to the King County Council on the status of the Program:
2024 2023
The King County Council approved the Program Plan for Harborview Bond Program that includes four bond goals:
The Implementation Advisory Committee, the City of Seattle's Standing Advisory (neighborhood) Committee, endorsed a letter to the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections supporting the bond goals:
For additional reports, search for Harborview Bond Program on King County's Legistar.Announcements and RFPs
- Harborview Medical Center Facilitation Services (2024 Solicitation #KC001045)
- Harborview Medical Center Facilities Master Plan (2023 Solicitation #KC000738)
- Project Management Services for the 2020 Harborview Bond Program (2021 Solicitation #KC000180)
Ordinance Work Group (OWG) Agendas
- June 23, 2023: Agenda
- June 16, 2023: Agenda
- June 9, 2023: Agenda
- May 19, 2023: Agenda
- May 5, 2023: Agenda
- April 19, 2023: Agenda
- March 29, 2023: Agenda
Related Documents and Links
- Harborview Capital Planning Leadership Group
- Harborview Leadership Group Recommendation Report (PDF)
- Harborview Medical Center
- University of Washington Medicine
- Public Health - Seattle & King County
- Harborview Medical Center Behavioral Health Institute
- Leslie Harper-Miles to direct King County’s Harborview Bond Project
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