By DIANA WURN

Business owners and affordable housing activists seldom join forces toward a common goal.

Yet the two have come together in opposition to a proposal suggested by University of Washington officials for Sound Transit to build an underground light rail station on the west side of 15th Avenue NE, just south of NE 45th, rather than the east side, which is a large UW-owned parking lot.

If Sound Transit chooses the west side, it could result in tearing down several historic buildings in the heart of the University District's commercial strip.

According to Sound Transit's current plans, locating an underground station on the west side of 15th would call for the demolition of the UW's Alumni Association Building at 1415 NE 45th, which would become the site of the light rail station's north entrance; and the three buildings along University Way NE.

Three buildings along University Way NE would also be torn down to provide a staging area for the construction project: a 79-year-old building on the southeast corner of NE 45th and University Way that currently houses a Bartell Drug Store on the ground floor and three upper floors of apartment units; and two neighboring buildings that house the University Masonic Lodge, The Soap Box and M.J. Feet.

Also on the possible endangered list is the historic Malloy Apartments, a 123-unit apartment building built in 1928, which theoretically could be saved from the wrecking ball, but not likely. Sound Transit would need to build its 45th Street Station 240 feet below ground, about the same depth as the height of the Safeco building. The Malloy would perch on top of two station entrances to the north and south. The south entrance would be located on a site that is currently being used as a parking lot for University Bookstore - the only building on the block that isn't in danger of being demolished.

Even if the historic Malloy survives construction, residents would need to be "relocated" for the four-year period that the project is expected to take.

Sound Transit is the public agency charged with creating a regional transit system, including light rail, commuter rail and buses, that will serve King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

Sound Transit's board of directors have until Nov. 18 to decide where to build its 45th Street Station in order to qualify for funding from the federal government.

Sound Transit, which wants to build its light rail route in the U-District along 15th Avenue NE, has narrowed its choices to two: the west side of 15th Avenue NE, just south of NE 45th, or the east side, which currently being used by the UW as a parking lot.

At first glance, the choice seems obvious: Sound Transit's own draft environmental assessment report, published in August, notes that the west side site would "present the worse case environmental impacts."

What's more, choosing the east side site, which is already vacant, would eliminate the need to relocate residents and businesses, and to demolish buildings.

But it isn't quite that simple.

Sound Transit says the UW, which owns the east side site, has requested that the light rail station be moved to the other side of the street for several reasons: displacement of campus parking; disturbance of a landscape border; a proposed new Law School; and plans to expand the nearby Burke Museum.

The UW's arguments for opposing the east side site "could be solved so easily," said Cathy Dampier, manager of The Malloy Apartments. "It just goes to show you how much power the University has."

Ironically, the UW says its main reason for urging Sound Transit to build its station on the west side site has to do with its desire for increasing the economic growth of the U-District.

Bridgette Chandler, Assistant Vice President for Regional Affairs at the UW, said the University is concerned that if the 45th Street Station is located on the east side, riders will not want to cross 15th Ave. NE to shop at stores along University Way. She adds: "Looking out for the well-being of our University neighbors is a big motivator."

Thanks, but no thanks, say opponents of the proposal to build the 45th Street Station on the west side of 15th.

"It would be devastating to lose the business core on that block, especially such a densely used corner with Bartell's, which has been there for over 40 years," said Ave merchant Fred Hart, who expresses concern even though his shop, La Tienda Folk Art Gallery, at 4138 University Way, is not in danger of being demolished. Hart also serves as a board member of the Greater University Chamber of Commerce.

David Graef, Vice President of Real Estate for Bartell Drugs, agrees. "It makes no logical sense," he said. He noted that Bartell's U-District store, which opened in 1926, one door south of its current site, has been in the same location since 1949.

Housing activist John Hoffman feels the same way about the potential loss of The Malloy. Hoffman is a member of the Displacement Coalition, a group that represents over 30 organizations involved in low-income housing and issues of homelessness. He has vowed to sit in front of any wrecking balls that threaten The Malloy. "The University's desire to save a parking lot - it's appalling," he said.

Don Wilson, owner of The Soap Box, another shop slated for demolition in the west side plan, added: "It's absolutely foolish to take a half block of the most stable businesses in the University District."

Under Sound Transit's plan, the buildings that currently house Bartell's and the other shops would be razed to make way for a staging area for construction equipment.

Not everyone is opposed to locating the station on the west side. A group called the Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance recently sent a letter to Sound Transit voicing its support for the west side site.

Chris Clow is a resident of the Malloy Apartments who voted in 1996 to approve Sound Transit's proposed regional transit plan with the understanding that the line would run down the east side of 15th Avenue in front of the Burke Museum, not through his living room on the west side. He even saved a voter mailer sent out by Sound Transit from three years ago that shows "in black and white" that the UW side of the street was where the 45th Street Station was supposed to go. "If I had heard any different, I would have put up a fuss a lot sooner," he said.

Sound Transit spokesman Denny Fleenor admits, "The east side is how it was described to voters in 1996."

If things had gone according to Sound Transit's original plan for the station, it wouldn't have come down to having choose between following the wishes of either the UW or the community

. The original plan called for an underground station with escalators leading to entrances on both sides of 15th. But once Sound Transit discovered that soil conditions would not allow the underground tunnel to be built at the proposed 80 to 100 feet depth, requiring instead a depth of 240 feet, plans for changed to call for a high-speed elevator instead of escalators. The plan was also changed to having the entrance located on only one side of the street.

University Chamber President Charles Grimes, owner of M.J. Feet, one of the shops slated for demolition, said the depth of the proposed tunnel, as it now stands, is mind-boggling: "Imagine turning the Safeco Tower upside down and digging down that far," he said.

Hoffman recently obtained a copy of correspondence sent from Paul Bay, director of Link Light Rail, to the UW, which states that in the past year, Sound Transit "has spent nearly $1 million above and beyond normal design costs to prepare reports and respond to questions and concerns raised by the University."

Bay also addresses one of the UW's concerns: impacts to its Law School project. Bay writes that he believes "both projects can be built simultaneously without impairing the Law School construction" and, in fact, "having both projects under construction at the same time reduces the period of time construction will be impacting that corner of campus."

At this time, boring and soil tests have yet to be conducted on the west side of 15th Avenue. These tests are required to get a picture of what will be involved in the construction. Sound Transit will wait until the board is closer to a decision before proceeding. The tests will cost Sound Transit another million dollars, according to the memo to the UW from Paul Bay.

With Sound Transit spending millions of dollars to satisfy the UW, the Northgate Station awaits a decision which is dependent upon funding.

In February 1998, Sound Transit decided that the Northgate Station would be put "on hold." However, Sound Transit spokesman Denny Fleenor points out that the voters passed the plan from SeaTac to the UW, with the Northgate Station as provisional, if funding comes through.

The Northgate/Roosevelt Station is projected to transport 17,000 riders per day and has sparked controversy over the possibility of disrupting the Thornton Creek Watershed. The Sound Transit Board will first have to make a decision on the NE 45th Street Station before handling Northgate's concerns.