By Meghan Hall
Nearly two years after signing a five-year access contract with MV Transportation, to expand services to qualifying riders throughout Seattle, King County has closed on a deal to buy a property currently occupied by the paratransit and contracting firm. In a deal that closed at the beginning of the week, King County spent $11.5 million on an industrial-zoned site in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. The seller, according to public documents, is Plantation, Flor. -based Rodia Properties.
The asset is located at 8025 10th Ave. S. Parcel data indicates that the property is zoned for general industrial uses and is developed with one 3,090 square foot building constructed in 1920. In all, the property totals 190,750 square feet, or about 4.38 acres.
The property is located just adjacent to the Duwamish Waterway and King County International Airport: Boeing Field. The immediate surrounding neighborhood is largely residential, with a few commercial businesses such as Modern Machine, Federal Marine and Defense Services and American Plastic Manufacturing, located nearby.
It is unclear what King County’s plans are for the property. However, the transaction follows on the heels of a $424 million, five-year contract between MV Transportation and the County to provide rides for qualifying riders who are unable to take fixed-route but services. The American with Disabilities Act federally requires jurisdictions to provide one million rides annually.
MV Transportation has been tasked with improved pick-up and drop-off windows for King County residents. The contract also includes the integration of new technologies, as well as in-house Metro customer service and flexible scheduling options. The County has the option to extend the contract for an additional five years, should the agreement prove favorable and effective.
Founded in 1975, MV Transportation is the largest privately-owned passenger transportation contracting firm in the United States, according to its website. The firm has partnered with more than 200 city and county governments and provides services to more than 110 million passengers each year across 30 states. While its contract with King County is fairly new, the company is familiar with the Pacific Northwest, as MV Transportation also provides services for companies such as Microsoft and Amazon.
