King County Council members OK'd last week a joint funding agreement for the Burien Transit Center's parking garage.

Sound Transit board directors were also expected to approve the deal.

Construction is expected to begin by late September.

"Basically, Sound Transit agrees to contribute $14.73 million for construction to expand the facility as promised in the ST2 plan," said Linda Robison, spokeswoman for Councilwoman Jan Drago. "Total cost of the construction is about $20.5 million.

Drago represents the Burien area on the council.

Alliance Wasatch will build a 500-stall garage at the transit center's northeast corner, located at Southwest 150th Street and 4th Avenue Southwest.

Five stories will be above ground with one story below ground. The construction should take about a year to complete.

Besides transit parking, the garage could be used by patrons of a proposed cinema on the southwest corner of Southwest 150th Street and 4th Avenue Southwest.

While the parking facility is being built, bus riders will use the former BBC Dodge lot at 1st Avenue South and Southwest 148th Street.

The garage is the first phase of a planned transit-oriented development. In the second phase, Burien officials are planning 100 affordable multi-family units with adjoining retail and office space.