The Seattle city council on June 27 approved a 2.6-mile streetcar linking the downtown public transit hub with the South Lake Union district. The approval could push redevelopment of the industrial lakefront area over the next 15 years. It now has 12 projects totaling 3 million sq ft that are either completed, under development or planned. A special tax on property owners will fund about half of the streetcar project’s $47-million cost, with state and federal grants making up most of the rest.