Seattle's aging monorail station at Seattle Center is getting a makeover.

Why it matters: The station doesn't meet modern safety and accessibility standards, project leaders say — plus, it can be hard for people to find amid the many attractions nearby.

Catch up quick: The monorail, which runs about a mile from Seattle Center to Westlake Center, was built for the 1962 World's Fair, the same event that gave the city the Space Needle.

• But the Seattle Center station is showing its age, suffering from problems with rust and water intrusion, project manager Robert Leykam told Axios.
• "If we didn't do this project, the station wouldn't exist too much longer," Leykam said.

On top of that, the guardrails — which date from the World's Fair era — have large gaps that people can fall through. Wheelchair access is a problem, too.

State of play: The $23 million renovation is slated to last 15 months, beginning shortly after next summer's FIFA World Cup games.

Zoom in: One major upgrade will be an accessible ramp connecting the monorail station to Thomas Street, which will create "a welcoming front door," Mark Johnson, principal architect for the project, told Axios.

• Changes to the guardrails and gate system will allow more people to queue safely on the platform at one time.

The big picture: The upgrades are needed in part to accommodate increased crowds using the monorail in recent years, including hockey fans attending Seattle Kraken games, Johnson said.

• He said ridership on the monorail tops two million trips per year. "That's an incredible number of folks to pass through this station," Johnson said.

Between the lines: The trains and tracks are getting a little love, too.

• Ahead of next year's World Cup matches, officials are working to rebuild the trains' suspension systems and smooth the monorail's guideways so they're less bumpy, Leykam said.

What we're watching: Johnson said at least one of the two monorail trains will still operate while the station upgrades are underway, ensuring service continues during construction.

Tell a rider

"My phone rang and I saw a number from Sweden and thought...that's spam of some sort.'"

Mary E. Brunkow, a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, learned she'd won the Nobel Prize yesterday when an Associated Press photographer arrived at her home to take her photo, the AP reported.

• Brunkow and two other scientists were honored for their work identifying regulatory T cells, known as "the immune system's security guards," per the Nobel committee.
• Bainbridge Island-based Fred Ramsdell, a co-founder of Sonoma Biotherapeutics, shares in the award.

Starbucks workers and allies rallied outside the company's headquarters yesterday, protesting abrupt store closures they say reflect the company's disregard for its hometown employees.

Why it matters: The closures — which included two of Seattle's most recognizable Starbucks locations — are the latest flashpoint in a nationwide labor battle between the coffee giant and its unionized baristas.

Catch up quick: Starbucks recently shuttered the Capitol Hill Reserve Roastery and SoDo Reserve locations overnight.

• Some workers said they learned of the closures from social media or a brief pre-recorded message, according to Starbucks Workers United.
• The union says the company is not reassigning jobless workers to nearby stores as in the past.
• "It's crazy to wake up and learn from social media that you lost your job before your company tells you," Trent Lytle-Hogue, a former Roastery barista, said in a statement.

The other side: Starbucks said last month it would close stores and lay off 900 corporate employees in a $1 billion restructuring plan.

• A company spokesperson who declined to be named told Axios that union status was not a factor in closure decisions and that Starbucks had offered transfers to employees who lost their jobs "wherever possible."

Full story

An intruder broke into the Washington state Capitol building in Olympia Sunday night and "damaged several facilities and historical artifacts," according to Gov. Bob Ferguson's office.

• A suspect was booked into the Thurston County Jail, but had not been charged as of yesterday afternoon. (Axios)

🔥 Wildfire smoke could drift over Western Washington today, though air quality impacts should remain minimal. (KING 5)

💵 Seattle paid for homeless shelter beds that were left vacant despite high demand for emergency housing in the city. (KUOW)

Washingtonians who are members of a condo association or homeowners' association may bristle at the cost of their monthly fees — but on average, HOA dues here are much lower than elsewhere in the country.

By the numbers: The median monthly HOA or condo association fee in Washington state was $82 last year, compared to $135 nationwide, according to newly released census data.

Stunning stat: If high condo or HOA fees terrify you, don't move to New York, where the median monthly fee was $739, or Washington, D.C., where it was $505.

Explore the map