Daily Plan It Office of Planning & Community Development

The Daily Plan It Blog

A OPCD Blog

2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments

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Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell is releasing the 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments. This budget reflects Mayor Harrell’s continued commitment to, and investment in, bold actions that address urgent needs of our communities and advance our One Seattle priorities. Mayor Harrell’s proposal continues work initiated in the 2023 Adopted Budget to invest in creating safe, healthy, and thriving communities. This budget continues supporting efforts to deliver effective public safety, build affordable housing and address the homelessness crisis, activate our Downtown, and advance opportunity and equity for all.

With the investments in this budget proposal, we can work together to advance our shared One Seattle vision and an agenda that will inspire the best in our city and keep us moving forward.

For OPCD, key highlights included in the mayor’s proposed budget include:

  • Regional Growth Center Plans: In order to remain in good standing with the Puget Sound Regional Council, maintain eligibility for regional transportation funds, and adequately plan for growth and investment in the six Regional Growth Centers as defined by PSRC, the City must complete six subarea plans by 2025. The 2023 Adopted and 2024 Endorsed budget included $650,000 of consultant services budget in 2023 to contract for the Downtown, Capitol Hill/First Hill, and Northgate plans; and an additional $400,000 of non-labor funds in 2024 to continue efforts to update the Uptown and South Lake Union plans. Our multi-phased approach to this work anticipates an additional budget request in 2025 to fund the University District subarea plan. Together, these plans will ensure that these regional centers remain eligible for regional transportation funds and will shape our strategies to support growth with equity and resilience over the long term.
  • Equitable Development Initiative: The Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) is a centerpiece of the City’s strategy to reduce displacement pressures, increase access to economic mobility and opportunity, and enable equitable access to neighborhoods throughout Seattle. Mayor Harrell’s 2024 proposed budget increases funding for the EDI program to over $25 million in 2024, which is comprised of $5 million from Short-Term Rental Tax; $19.76 million of Payroll Expense Tax; and $430,000 of CDBG dollars. These funds will be used for a 2024 RFP that will support capacity building for organizations that are leading anti-displacement efforts and property acquisition by BIPOC-led community organizations.

The following is a summary of OPCD’s position changes in the 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments:

  • New 1.0 finance analyst position to support the EDI and Finance teams.
  • New 1.0 term-limited strategic advisor position to be a primary point of contact related to emerging work items around downtown activation for the next two years.

Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s 2023-2024 Proposed Mid-Biennial Budget Adjustments. Public hearings are on October 18 and November 13. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Tuesday, November 21. Read more about the Mayor’s proposed budget here: https://harrell.seattle.gov/2023/09/26/mayor-harrell-announces-2024-budget-proposal/ and you can also direct any questions to MOS_COMMS@seattle.gov.

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One Duwamish Valley: Celebrating Community Resilience and City Investments

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Come to the South Park Pump Station grand opening event to recognize the completion of the pump station and to celebrate the 5th year anniversary of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan!

Seattle Public Utilities will present information about upcoming wet weather season and what you can do to help prepare yourself for flooding, as well as updates on the City’s broader flood response work. Other City departments will provide updates on on-going work in the Duwamish Valley. There will be brief remarks by public officials and community leaders, followed by time to explore the area.

You can take a self-guided walking tour of the campus and the drainage and street improvements in the area. Lunch is provided for free!

Saturday September 30, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
South Park Pump Station 636 S Riverside Drive, Seattle, WA 98108

Celebrate the 5th year anniversary of the release of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan, the opening of the South Park Pump Station, and the completion of the first phase of major roadway and conveyance improvement projects. It also marks approximately 6-8 months since high tide inundation greatly impacted part of South Park.

[Read more…]
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Mayor Harrell Announces $9.5 Million to Community Organizations Through the Equitable Development Initiative  

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Mayor Bruce Harrell announced $9,582,651 in awards through the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), part of the City’s effort to support property ownership among Seattle’s diverse communities in neighborhoods at high risk of displacement. The EDI funding is intended to support community organizations for site acquisition and major capital projects, as well as capacity-building support to organizations that are still developing their plans for permanent homes in Seattle.   

The EDI fund, administered by the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) was created to respond to the needs of historically marginalized communities, reduce disparities, and support organizational capacity building, property acquisition, and capital expenses. The initiative is championed by community organizations concerned about displacement pressures and historical lack of investment that has occurred in communities of color in Seattle. EDI investments are funded through many sources including the JumpStart Payroll Tax. 

“Displacement pressures are disproportionately impacting communities of color, and Seattle is actively committed to supporting organizations that are working to keep communities in place,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The Equitable Development Initiative embodies our One Seattle vision, bringing to the forefront innovative community-based programs that increase affordable housing and economic opportunity, and ensure vibrant cultural spaces find permanence in our city.” 

[Read more…]
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Unveiling the Outside Citywide Public Space Explorer: A New Online Tool to Promote Equity, Collaboration, and Environmental Justice

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In an ever-evolving urban landscape, the need to reimagine public spaces has never been more critical. We’re thrilled to introduce the Outside Citywide Public Space Explorer, an exciting new resource born from over five years of collaborative efforts across many departments, agencies, and organizations. This tool aims to bring about several transformative changes in how we plan and improve our public space system:

1. Gaining a Better Understanding of Our Public Space System

Seattle’s public space network is a diverse tapestry of different assets, encompassing plazas, trails, P-Patch gardens, neighborhood greenways, parks, and more. It’s the lifeblood of our city, offering opportunities for exercise, relaxation, community-building, and cultural enrichment. However, despite having one of the country’s best public space networks overall, some neighborhoods have historically been better served than others.

Past policies resulted in public spaces being concentrated in affluent, predominantly white neighborhoods, while communities of color received fewer investments and suffered from higher concentrations of pollution-generating activities.

The Outside Citywide mapping tools address these disparities head-on by providing a comprehensive view of our public space system. Prior to this effort, the dozens of different departments and agencies that own and manage public spaces in Seattle all mapped and inventoried their assets separately.  The Outside Citywide program changed this by putting all these assets together on one map.   Looking at the system as a whole, we were then able to gain a much deeper understanding of where the system is working well and where it is falling short. This will allow us to channel future public space investments into the neighborhoods that need them the most.

[Read more…]
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Join Us at the Seattle Design Festival!

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We are excited to be involved in this year’s Seattle Design Festival, founded in 2011 as a strategic initiative of AIA Seattle to promote public dialogue and community engagement about the role and impact of design in urban life. Join us at the festival as a follow up to our Office to Residential competition held earlier this Spring.

What We Need to Thrive in a Future Seattle Downtown (Sunday, August 20)
Explore innovative proposals submitted to our Office-to-Residential Conversion Visions for Seattle Downtown through a pop-up Cyanotype Word Art activity. Cyanotype is a 170-year-old photographic printing process that produces prints in a distinctive dark greenish-blue. Imagine our downtown neighborhoods filled to the brim with live, work, and playful activities. What do you and your community need to thrive downtown? What could a future downtown Seattle look like?

Conversation About Office-to-Residential Conversion Visions for Seattle Downtown (Wednesday, August 23)
Our Director Rico Quirindongo sits down with winners of our Call for Ideas: Office-to-Residential Conversion Visions for Seattle Downtown competition to discuss their proposals. Hear where they drew inspiration, what challenges they wrestled with, and their hopes for the future of Seattle’s downtown communities.

Visit seadesignfest.org for more information about the festival and other events happening that week. See you there!

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Duwamish River Opportunity Fund Now Accepting Applications!

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中文 | español | ភាសាខ្មែរ |  Soomali | Tagalog | Tiếng Việt 

Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) is excited to announce the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund is now accepting applications. This year, $240,000 is available for grants up to $40,000 to support projects that will take place in 2024. These funds are to support community-led projects and programs that enhance the quality of life in the Duwamish Valley. The deadline to apply is 5pm (PT) on Monday, August 7.

This funding opportunity is open to Tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and businesses who work closely with the communities in the Duwamish Valley. Eligible types of projects include but are not limited to arts and storytelling, community education, organizational and community capacity building, climate change preparedness, skills building and job training, and community planning and visioning.

Attend a Virtual Info Session and Request Technical Assistance!

If you are interested in learning more about this Fund, discussing a project idea, or submitting a proposal, you can take the following steps:

  • Sign up for here a 20-minute callwith a member of our team
  • Please use the form to request interpretation.

Visitseattle.gov/environment/DROF to learn more and apply by August 7 at 5pm.

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We Belong Here Podcast S4 EP2: The Future of Downtown Seattle

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Civic Common’s latest podcast about the future of Downtown Seattle features Yoon Kang O’Higgins from Friends of the Waterfront, Rico Quirindongo from Seattle’s Office of Planning & Community Development, and Jon Scholes from Downtown Seattle Association.

Listen to the podcast here: https://www.civic-commons.org/webelonghere-podcast/s4-ep2-future-of-downtown-seattle.

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City Council Unanimously Confirms Rico Quirindongo as OPCD Director

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The Seattle City Council unanimously confirmed acting director Rico Quirindongo as head of the Office of Planning and Community Development (Via KUOW).

Watch the live stream of Rico’s appointment (via The Seattle Channel), starting at 39:19. You can read the transcription of his acceptance speech below. Congrats Rico!

Thank you to Mayor Bruce Harrell for his leadership and vision, to Councilmembers for the honor of being able to work with you these last two years, to my staff for your tireless passion and energy in the work that we do in the Office of Planning and Community Development.

We have work to do to make the City of Seattle more equitable. Through our Comprehensive Plan, Our One Seattle Plan work, we need to ensure everyone has a voice, regardless of where they live in the city, regardless of what the level of income that they make, regardless of the color of their skin or the nature of their heritage. We need to ensure that anyone that works in the city of Seattle can earn a living wage. We need to ensure that for anyone that choses to or wants to live in the city of Seattle, that they have access to an affordable place to live, whether they are renting or buying, and regardless of their level of income. We need to right the wrongs of our past, including the terrible history of redlining, racial covenants and other racist land-use policies that were built into the regulatory framework for who was allowed to acquire property and own a home in our city. We must support our Tribal partners and our urban indigenous organizations to ensure that the First People of our city are able to be seen and be celebrated, and are able to live in comfort and pride, with the rich cultural traditions that are so grounded in the care of family, community, and place. We must create opportunities for our BIPOC families and business owners across the city to build generational wealth.

Through our programs at the Office of Planning and Community Development — One Seattle Plan, Industrial Maritime Strategy, Equitable Development Initiative, station area planning and downtown subarea plan work, through our collaborations with our fellow City offices and departments, and through our partnerships with community and leadership of the Mayor’s office — we are invested in all of these visions and intended outcomes for all Seattle residents.

Leading with Equity, we are making certain that whatever policy work and community investments that we make as a department and as a City, that we do them in such a way that we are raising all boats, improving the places that people live work, and play, and that we are giving voice and power to those that have been traditionally unseen and under-supported.

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Mayor Harrell and Office of Planning and Community Development Unveil Competition Winners Advancing Innovative Office Space Conversion Ideas Focused on Sustainable Downtown Activation 

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Bold proposals will inform future legislative and regulatory efforts to advance conversion projects, optimize urban assets, and meet unique neighborhood needs

Winners of the Office to Residential competition with Mayor Bruce Harrell and OPCD Acting Director Rico Quirindongo.

Mayor Bruce Harrell and The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) announced the winners of the City’s design competition seeking innovative ideas for downtown office space conversions. The winning proposals exemplified imaginative and achievable designs that integrate housing, commercial areas, and community amenities, fostering a thriving and inclusive urban environment. 

The Call for Ideas: Office-to-Residential Conversion Visions for Seattle Downtown competition, invited design teams and building owners to submit proposals that explore converting existing office space into new residential and commercial uses. Part of Mayor Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan, the design competition aims to spur the creation of innovative, sustainable, and achievable ideas to activate downtown, optimize the use of our urban assets, meet unique neighborhood needs.  

“Central to our Downtown Activation Plan is a commitment to creating a robust downtown neighborhood with the amenities and housing that ensure this isn’t just a great place to work, but a place for families and residents of all kinds. As we learn and apply the best lessons from the pandemic, we know our downtown will evolve and we as a city are taking steps to be on the forefront of innovation.” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “This design competition sought bold ideas from partners that are best positioned to help us design and build a downtown where we can all live, work, learn, shop, play, and so much more. The proposals submitted represent how we can be bold, go outside the box, and embrace Space Needle thinking to transform our downtown. We will use these ideas to explore and inform next steps to increase housing in our city core and activate our streets with new and diverse businesses and services at the ground level.” 

Thirteen ideas from 12 design teams were submitted to the city. Together, the submitted design proposals offer a glimpse into the possibilities of future downtown communities, including co-living, shared work, and collective garden spaces. The top three submittals were selected for their designs that were both imaginative and achievable. They include:  

First Place 

  • Project Team: Hybrid Architecture, LLC with Tom Geeslin, Project Architect; Great Expectations, LLC; and Diamond Parking whose winning entry suggested the conversion of the Mutual Life Building built in 1890 into a co-living space that would provide affordable units, creating environmental, economic, and socially responsible housing.  

Second Place  

  • Gensler, Seattle Office Project Team: Case Creal, Senior Associate at Gensler; Marissa Brown at Gensler; and Jeroen Teeuw, Senior Associate and Design Director at Gensler who proposed a building with a more modern footprint, a centralized elevator core and a variety of unit mixes with great natural light. The submission highlighted code changes that would make a stronger case for conversion.   
  • Project Team: The Miller Hull Partnership (Scott Wolf, Margaret Sprug, Cory Mattheis, Claire Rennhack, Whitney Pearce, Tobias Jimenez, June Zheng, Chris Hellstern, Gabrielle Peterson), and Stanley Real Estate whose proposal focused on adaptive reuse of historic buildings in Pioneer Square, converted into residential units and a shared courtyard.  
[Read more…]
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Dream, Build, Play Workshop Helps Residents Reimagine A New South Park

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Workshop participants at the South Park Neighborhood Center. Photo courtesy of Place It!

On April 29, James Rojas, an urban planner and artist, held a “Dream, Build, Play” design workshop for South Park residents at the South Park Neighborhood Center. The goal was to use various objects to build and describe their hopes for the neighborhood. Families and neighbors from all backgrounds attended and provided feedback based on the facilitator’s prompts. Below is a few examples of what was heard and created.

Prompt #1: Build your favorite childhood memory.

I remember my home in Chicago as a child. The houses were close together, I remember the street with a small 7Eleven store, the bus station and convenience store.

Maria

Playing in the forest and finding a place I thought was haunted and had ghosts in it, later finding out it was a chicken coop. Now whenever i’m scared I remember it is just a chicken coop.

Brice

Love of nature, the place I grew up was very green.

Esperanza

Prompt #2: Build an ideal city with your team.

Team 1, “The Sunny City”: The city is centered by a park. There are houses surrounding the park so everyone has access, there is a train system, water and a river flowing through it and the Sun and a slide that Santa likes to ride on.

Team 2, “The Carless Neighborhood”: There are no cars in the neighborhood, a plaza, trees and water, houses, community built preserving the history, cattle, chicken, a small farm, safe for kids to play, ride bikes, forests where people come together to create.

Watch this video to see a breakdown of the workshop and the processes behind each team project. Turn on YouTube subtitles for English language.

For more information about Reconnect South Park, visit reconnectsouthpark.org.

To learn more about our efforts to support this project, visit https://www.seattle.gov/opcd/ongoing-initiatives/reconnect-south-park.

Learn more about James Rojas by visiting Place It!

See more photos from the workshop on Flickr.

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