Seattle to buy back property from Allen to clean up ‘Mercer Mess’

Associated Press – August 15, 2007 10:55 AM ET

SEATTLE (AP) – The city of Seattle is starting to buy back some properties it sold six years ago to Paul Allen’s development company.

The city will likely have to pay much more than the $20 million it received. It needs the land now to address what’s called the “Mercer Mess” traffic problem in the south Lake Union area.

The city wants to start a $119 million Mercer Corridor project in 2009. The funding depends on voters approving a three-county roads package on the November sixth ballot.

The land buyback has been approved by the council’s transportation committee. The full council votes September 24th.