Redmond has been shaped by the railroad that ran through the City’s heart since 1889 when the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway (SLS&E ) began to serve Redmond. The City and its economy matured and grew around the railroad. Today the railroad is gone, yet the railroad right-of-way remains, currently as a no man’s land dividing the Downtown and running through the beautiful Sammamish Valley. The Redmond Central Connector will reclaim the abandoned railroad corridor by creating a regional trail with park and cultural amenities that becomes a dynamic destination for people to experience Redmond and create community. The Connector will be a catalyst for economic growth in Downtown by bringing more people to Redmond to live, work, socialize, and recreate.