Daily Plan It Office of Planning & Community Development

The Daily Plan It Blog

A OPCD Blog

City Seeks Designs for Backyard Cottages to be Pre-approved for Permits

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To help more residents own and rent detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs), the City is seeking submissions from architects, designers, and builders for plans that will be pre-approved for construction permits.  

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan directed City staff to select plans for pre-approval to make the process to design and permit DADUs — often called backyard cottages — faster, easier, cheaper, and more predictable. Homeowners choosing a pre-approved plan will pay reduced permit fees and get their permit faster — in 2-6 weeks rather than several months for sites that do not involve protected trees or environmentally critical areas.  

Architects and designers interested in submitting a plan should review the design criteria and requirements outlined in our new Pre-approved DADU Submission Guide. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) and Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) gathered input through a public survey and stakeholder conversations to inform the design criteria.  

Designers and builders must submit DADU designs by February 17, 2020, that fulfill the criteria and follow the submission requirements outlined in our Submission Guide. A selection committee will review submissions and identify 6-10 plans that SDCI permitting staff will pre-approve for compliance with certain structural codes. 

Pre-approved plans will be displayed in an online gallery with images, description, and information about the designer. Homeowners can browse the gallery, choose a design, and connect with its designer to proceed with the necessary steps to permit the DADU on their site. Builders must still acquire permits and inspections related to zoning, site preparation, utility connections, and other site-specific requirements. 

Considering submitting a design? The City will hold an information session on January 14, 2020, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 4050 of the Seattle Municipal Tower (700 5th Ave) where architects, designers, and builders can ask questions about the selection process, the design criteria, or how homeowners will use plans selected for pre-approval. All questions and answers from the session will be documented in writing and posted publicly online.  

For other questions or to be added to our project email list, contact DADUplans@seattle.gov.  

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City Life at Street Level

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Download the City Life at Street Level report.

Active street life — both day and night — is a defining feature of great cities. In City Life at Street Level, the City of Seattle describes and illustrates successful strategies that architects and designers have used to create sidewalk environments that support vibrant, safe and attractive street life.

As Seattle continues to grow and develop, it’s important to learn from what we have done well, and what we could do better, to create storefronts and pedestrian environments that provide great places to meet, interact, and pause. Successful design at the street level can improve livability, economic vitality, neighborhood character, and public safety.

Think of the last time you walked around Seattle and what made it memorable. Which streets did you choose to walk? What restaurants, shops, or art spaces drew you in from the sidewalk? Where and why did you choose to stop?

This year, urban designers at Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development researched street level frontages in Downtown neighborhoods to better understand which design qualities encourage public interaction and vibrant small businesses. They identified positive streetscape qualities that are universal no matter the scale of the building or storefront use: clear glass, welcoming entrances, canopies, lighting, outdoor seating, and detailing for pedestrian scale. Other qualities are more dependent on the activities inside and how they engage with the sidewalk.

Many people and processes impact good street level design. The City hopes this document will be a resource and guide for everyone—building owners and tenants, architects and designers, general public and agencies— for our collective work in shaping a city we all love.

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Census Ethnic and Minority Media Funding Opportunity

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As part of the City of Seattle’s plan for the 2020 Census, we recognize the critical role that ethnic media organizations play in engaging historically undercounted communities. Based on this fact and through community feedback, the City of Seattle will make grants available to these organizations to promote and publicize the 2020 Census. A total of $150,000 will be available with funds awarded up to $20,000.

Download the Request for Proposals (RFP) which outlines the criteria, eligibility, and timeline to apply for the grants. To learn more about this funding opportunity, there will be two informational Call-in sessions on Friday, December 6:

Call 1: Friday, December 6, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Dial: (206) 386-1200, 6370899#

Conference ID: 6370899

Call 2: Friday, December 6, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Dial: (206) 386-1200, 703483#

Conference ID: 703483

The deadline for submission is Monday, December 16. Applicants will be notified the first week of January.

If you have questions about the RFP or need technical assistance or in language, please contact Sunny Ysa at sunny.ysa@seattle.gov .

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Mayor Durkan Announces Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council to Help Develop Comprehensive Plan for Supporting Industrial and Maritime Jobs and Innovation

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Seattle Has Opportunity to Develop a Comprehensive Strategy for the Future of the Industrial and Maritime Sectors

Citywide Panel and Neighborhood-based Groups in Ballard, SODO, Interbay/Armory, and Georgetown/South Park to Advise Strategy

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced the creation of the City’s Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council to develop a comprehensive strategy for supporting industrial and maritime jobs and innovation and planning for the next generation of Seattle’s Manufacturing Industrial Centers, which occupy about 11% of the City’s land, covering approximately 4,000 acres. 

The Council will bring together individuals with a diverse set of experiences and expertise including those with deep involvement in industrial and maritime economies, transportation, workforce development professionals, and community representatives. Their work will help advise on the City of Seattle’s development of a comprehensive strategy, preparing the City to act on a suite of possible legislative and policy changes. 

“Seattle’s industrial and maritime industries are at the heart of what has made our city a leader in global innovation and good-paying jobs. As we continue to build the city of the future, I am deeply committed to building an inclusive, resilient, and diverse local economy. We must make sure we have a full range of jobs and true economic opportunity,” said Mayor Durkan. “We are bringing community together to plan for the future of these sectors, how we can provide more family-wage jobs, and drive innovation in our maritime and industrial sectors and plan the future of our industrial lands.” 

Mayor Durkan is committed to further improving Seattle’s position as a gateway for global trade in the maritime and manufacturing sectors. The City’s existing policies establish strong protections for areas currently accommodating industrial and maritime uses; however, it’s been more than a decade since the City updated its industrial policies. Seattle has an opportunity to take advantage of technological advances and changes across the city landscape to build a comprehensive strategy that ensures innovation and industrial jobs continue to flourish throughout Seattle.  

The Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council will help plan for the future successes of these sectors with several guiding principles: 

  • Using the power of local workers and companies to chart a blueprint for the future
  • Strengthening and growing Seattle’s industrial and maritime sectors
  • Promoting equitable access to living-wage jobs through an inclusive economy and ladders of economic opportunity 
  • Improving the movement of people and goods to and within industrial zones and increase safety for all travel modes
  • Aligning Seattle’s industrial and maritime strategy with key climate and environmental protection goals
  • Developing a proactive land use policy agenda that harnesses growth and economic opportunities to ensure innovation and industrial jobs are a robust part of our future economy
  • Planning for the next generation of these lands as a key pillar for the Seattle of the future

“Industrial and maritime jobs have been fundamental to Seattle’s identity and they should be for our future, too. It’s time to check if our land use rules are ensuring that vision amid technology, environmental, and other changes. I’m excited to take on this forward-looking review and plan development with Mayor Durkan’s leadership,” said Sally Clark, UW director of regional and community relations and co-chair of the maritime council.

“Seattle’s industrial and maritime land fuels our local economy and creates thousands of family-wage, union jobs. As we look toward our future, preserving these lands will keep this door to the middle-class open for the next generation,” said Nicole Grant, MLK Labor Executive Secretary Treasurer and council co-chair.

Maritime and manufacturing activities in the City have long benefitted Seattle by contributing to the City’s identity, supporting living-wage jobs, and promoting economic diversity. From the cranes and container terminals that mark the Port of Seattle, to the warehouses and manufacturing facilities within the Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center, shipping, fishing, and manufacturing continue to support our economic success and are a critical source of living-wage jobs, which are one of the cornerstones of a thriving and livable city.  

The Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council groups will be tasked with developing recommendations to inform the strategy. Topics of discussion will include the best ways to take advantage of new opportunities, like the Port of Seattle’s plans to redevelop Terminal 46 as a cruise ship berth that will be capable of holding the world’s largest cruise ships; a proposal for creating a Stadium District with a mix of uses; Sound Transit’s development of new light rail stations in Ballard, Interbay, and SODO that will support transit-oriented development in the area; the State’s plans for the sale of the armory site in Interbay; new modern industrial development, and more.   

The Citywide Advisory Panel has representatives from the Port, Stadium Authority, Public Facilities District, and the Mariners; four from labor; four business interests; two experts in planning and land development; two transportation stakeholders; two workforce development professionals; two community representatives; and the Chair of the relevant City Council committee. Parentheticals denote representation on a neighborhood committee.

  • Sally Clark, University of Washington (co-chair)
  • Nicole Grant, MLK Labor (co-chair)
  • Brian Surratt, Alexandria Real Estate Equities (co-chair)
  • Sam Farrazaino, Georgetown Safety Task Force/Georgetown Strong (Georgetown/South Park) 
  • Dave Gering, Manufacturing Industrial Council of Seattle
  • Erin Goodman, SODO Business Improvement Area (SODO) 
  • Johan Hellman, BNSF Railway (Interbay/Armory) 
  • Alex Hudson, Transportation Choices Coalition
  • Rick Kolpa, Prologis 
  • Marie Kurose, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County 
  • Terri Mast, Inlandboatman’s Union (Interbay/Armory) 
  • Fred Mendoza, Public Stadium Authority (SODO) 
  • Barbara Nabors-Glass, Seattle Goodwill 
  • Peter Nitze, Nitze-Stagen 
  • John Persak, International Longshore and Warehouse Union (SODO) 
  • Fred Rivera, Seattle Mariners (SODO) 
  • Charles Royer, Public Facilities District (SODO)
  • Jordan Royer, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association 
  • Greg Smith, Urban Visions 
  • Rob Stack, Stack Industrial Properties 
  • Commissioner Peter Steinbrueck, Port of Seattle
  • Mike Stewart, Ballard Alliance Business Improvement Area (Ballard) 
  • Councilmember Abel Pacheco

In addition to the Citywide Advisory Panel, neighborhood-focused subgroups in Ballard, Interbay/Armory, SODO and Georgetown/South Park will assist in advising on local opportunities for the future of the industrial and maritime sectors, while also bringing forward the issues and needs of the neighborhoods most impacted by environmental and economic inequities.  

The Council held their first meeting this week. Strategy recommendations will be to delivered to Mayor Durkan in Spring 2020.

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Urban Innovations: How Are Cities Fighting Displacement?

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Urban Innovations flyer image with information about the event, with photos of each panel member.

Fast-growing cities continue to grapple with displacement of historically disadvantaged communities. Affordable housing, support for cultural organizations, funding for social service networks, and services for vulnerable small businesses all play a role in combating displacement. What unique local and national approaches are successfully responding to displacement pressures and supporting communities seeking to remain in place?

5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov 14
Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S Massachusetts St

Join the discussion with our guest panel:

Monica Bravo, West Side Community Organization, St. Paul
Gregory Davis, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Seattle
Nicole Johnson, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Portland
Tony Lamb, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Portland
Chris Schildt, All-In Cities Anti-Displacement Policy Network, Oakland

Visit our Facebook event page here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181116855423178

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City Launches Effort to Develop Pre-approved Plans for Accessory Dwelling Units

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Today, the Seattle Department of Constructions and Inspections (SDCI) and Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) together are launching a survey to help guide our effort to select designs for pre-approved plans for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Small, secondary homes located on the same lot as an existing residence, ADUs create more places to rent in neighborhoods where housing is often unaffordable and give homeowners flexibility to generate income, build wealth, and meet their changing household needs. Since 2010, Seattle has allowed detached ADUs (DADUs), often called backyard cottages or carriage houses, in our single-family zones. Yet only a small share of eligible lots have an ADU.

In recent years, we’ve been identifying the barriers that keep us from having more of this housing type. In July 2019, the City passed legislation eliminating many common regulatory barriers that discourage or prevent people from creating an ADU. Now, we’re addressing other challenges so that more people can own and rent these homes.

To simplify and streamline permitting, we’re working with architects, designers, and builders to develop pre-approved DADU construction plans that offer a faster, easier, and more predictable design and permitting process for Seattle residents. Homeowners choosing a pre-approved DADU plan pay a reduced permit fee and get their permit faster — in 2-6 weeks, compared to 4-8 months for a typical DADU permit. In certain situations, such as lots with protected trees or Environmentally Critical Areas (ECAs), the pre-approved DADU plan timeline could vary.

As a first step, we invite you to share your input on how we should choose DADU plans to pre-approve. Through October 21, take our survey to shape the criteria and design principles we will encourage in our selection. Later this fall, we’ll publish our selection criteria and announce a call for submissions. Selected plans will be reviewed, pre-approved, and displayed in an online gallery. To use a pre-approved plan, a homeowner pays a small royalty to the designer, who can help prepare the site plan necessary to get a construction permit. More details on this process are coming soon.

Want to learn more? On October 19, OPCD and other departments will be attending ADU Fair: Resources for creating accessory dwelling units, a free event at Southside Commons from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Come by to learn about ADUs, talk with staff, or even take our survey. You can also email us at DADUplans@seattle.gov, read our summary, and visit the SDCI website on ADUs.

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A Message From Our Director: 2020 Proposed Budget

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Dear Neighbors,

Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan is releasing her 2020 Proposed Budget. In the second year of the two-year budget biennium, this budget maintains core services while at the same time increasing investments in priorities like public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, transit and transportation safety, and opportunity and jobs for Seattle’s young people. Under the Mayor’s leadership, OPCD will continue to pursue our mission to lead collaborative planning, advance equitable development, and create great places.

We are pleased to announce that the Mayor is proposing to expand support for OPCD’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI). As you may know, EDI provides funding to community-based organizations that initiate, develop and operate programs that support racial and social justice and respond to displacement pressures. When first launched in 2016, EDI was initially funded with $16 million from proceeds of the sale of surplus City property. Beginning 2019, EDI has a dedicated ongoing funding source of $5 million annually from Short-Term Rental Tax revenues (sometimes referred to as the AirBnB tax), as well as $430,000 in federal funding.

With the successful sale of the City-owned Mercer Megablock properties in South Lake Union, Mayor Durkan is proposing to dedicate an additional $15 million to a new EDI Site Acquisition Revolving Loan program to support our community partners’ anti-displacement work. Often these community-based organizations have creative ideas on how to combat residential, commercial, and cultural displacement, but lack the funds to acquire the land they need to realize their vision. This new loan program will help fill some of that need.

We are also looking ahead to crafting Seattle’s next Comprehensive Plan, our vision for how to shape the city’s growth in housing and jobs. The Mayor is proposing an additional $650,000 for community engagement and an environmental study of our evolving growth plan, including a fresh look at how new Sound Transit system expansion will help shape the future of Seattle. The next Comprehensive Plan, mandated by the state’s Growth Management Act, will require a multi-year public process and extensive review process. We must complete the new plan in 2023.

Finally, OPCD’s station-area planning efforts around the new Sound Transit light rail stations —one of the largest public works projects in Seattle’s history— will begin to move forward in earnest. The Mayor’s budget proposes additional resources to launch extensive community engagement and planning that will extend to neighborhoods across the city. This transformative work will be a collaboration between the City and residents who live and work near future light rail stations. Consistent with the City’s commitment to racial equity and social justice, there will be a focused effort to partner with communities of color and other underserved populations to ensure that the project and related efforts and investments help to create a more equitable city for all. Working together, we can develop a vision to meet our climate goals, create vibrant transit-oriented communities, and provide more housing choices close to light rail.

More information about details in the full budget can be found at www.seattle.gov/budget, and you can also direct any questions to jenny.durkan@seattle.gov.

Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s the proposed budget. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Monday, Nov. 25.

Regards,

Sam Assefa, Director

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Mayor Durkan Announces $5 million to Community Organizations Through the Equitable Development Initiative

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Mayor’s “Housing Seattle Now” Establishes New $15 million EDI Revolving Loan Program

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced $5 million in awards through the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), part of the City’s effort to support Seattle’s existing residents and businesses in high displacement risk neighborhoods. Mayor Durkan announced the awards in Pioneer Square at the Chief Seattle Club, a human service agency that provides for the basic needs of their members, many of whom are experiencing homelessness. Chief Seattle Club is a recipient of this year’s funding.

“Seattle’s challenges of affordability have displaced far too many residents and businesses,” said Mayor Durkan. “Our vision is of a city where all communities can build a home for themselves and their loved ones. Through our Equitable Development Initiative, the City of Seattle is making critical investments in community-based organizations that are working to combat displacement and increase access to opportunity in neighborhoods across our city.”

The EDI fund, administered by the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), was created to respond to the needs of marginalized populations, reduce disparities, and support access to opportunity in healthy, vibrant communities. 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.

“All Seattle residents must have access to a positive future,” said Sam Assefa, Director of OPCD. “EDI takes its lead from the community leaders and organizations that best understand the realities of today’s displacement pressures. We’re proud to fund these grassroots initiatives that build resiliency and community ownership, and most importantly support racial justice.”

EDI fosters community leadership and supports organizations to promote equitable access to jobs, education and childcare, outdoor space and recreation, cultural expression, healthy food, and other community needs and amenities. These partnerships are designed to support leadership and build capacity building among the most historically marginalized groups in Seattle, sharing in decision-making and power, and working towards racial equity outcomes that allows all communities to thrive.

“Thank you, Mayor Durkan for recognizing the importance of investing in community-grown, culturally-based organizations. The EDI program continues to empower and strengthen underrepresented communities by investing in organic, locally-grown programs across Seattle,” said Colleen Echohawk, Executive Director of Chief Seattle Club. “Chief Seattle Club’s vision of affordable homes that support the needs of the American Indian and Alaskan Native community is further reinforced with this investment through the EDI program.”

As part of her Housing Seattle Now plan, Mayor Durkan is proposing to establish a new $15 million EDI revolving loan program funded from the proceeds of the sale of the surplus, city-owned Mercer St. properties. The new revolving loan program will provide funding to support additional land acquisition by community organizations in response to displacement pressures.

The following community-based organizations working in Seattle on anti-displacement strategies and economic development opportunities have been selected for funding in 2019:

Chief Seattle Club — $1 million
The Chief Seattle Club is seeking to purchase and renovate the Monterey Lofts above their current facility and adjacent to the site of their new facility. The project is designed to support the physical, cultural, and spiritual needs of the American Indian and Alaska Native community, with indigenous designs, affordable housing units, services, health clinic, and a café/art gallery space in Pioneer Square.

Byrd Barr Place — $1 million
Byrd Barr Place has been operating out of the City’s surplus Fire Station 23. The City is working to transfer ownership of the property to the organization and the EDI application will support improvements to the building. Completion of this project would renovate the 100+ year old building to meet contemporary ADA and environmental standards, allowing BBP to expand the services it provides.

Cham Refugees Community — $575,000
Cham Refugees Community is seeking to build an upgraded, 12,000 square foot community center at their existing location. They have a need for a sharia-compliant facility, as most of the other existing or proposed community centers will not meet that specific need. The facility will expand their programming while increasing the usability for youth, the elderly, and disabled members of the community.

Duwamish Longhouse — $575,000
The Duwamish Tribe is proposing to purchase property adjacent to the existing Longhouse to support the continued viability of the cultural space. The expansion will help visitors safely access the Longhouse.

Friends of Little Saigon — $225,000
Friends of Little Saigon are seeking to implement the Landmark Project at 1221 S King St, currently owned by Lam’s Seafood Market. Lam’s is seeking to redevelop the site and would remain as the anchor tenant. These funds will support staffing and feasibility studies, including developing a co-ownership and co-development structure with Lam’s.

Lake City Collective — $75,000
Lake City Collective uses a community ambassador model to preserve cultural heritage and increase the ability for local communities to become self-determining. They have been organizing community members to tackle the displacement challenges in the area and are starting to identify potential community development projects. LCC seeks to establish a location in Seattle’s Little Brook neighborhood that would allow them to expand services and establish partnerships that would preserve existing affordable housing sites in the neighborhood.

Queer the Land — $75,000
Queer the Land will use this funding to build its organization as it pursues its goal to create a cooperative of queer, transgender, and Two-Spirit Black/indigenous/people of color. The group seeks to establish a facility with affordable transitional and semi-permanent housing, co-working space, communal space, and a community garden.

Rainier Beach Action Coalition — $575,000
The Food Innovation District concept was developed as part of the Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan in 2012. RBAC has worked with Forterra to secure property in the Rainier Beach station area; these funds will support predevelopment expenses. The Food Innovation Center will be a multi-purpose facility with a commercial kitchen, food production and training space, and areas to provide supportive services and education. RBAC is pursuing a joint venture with Mt Baker Housing Association, which will develop affordable housing on the site.

Rainier Valley Midwives — $214,700
Rainier Valley Midwives has been operating out of a temporary location in the Rainier Valley Community Clinic that is becoming untenable due to escalating rents. The organization is working to acquire and build a permanent Birth Center in the Rainier Valley that will provide wrap-around services before, during, and after the birth process to people of color.

Wing Luke Museum — $725,000
The Wing is seeking to preserve the Homestead Home one block south of the Museum and to activate its develop its adjacent parking lot. This home is the most intact remaining single-family home in the Chinatown-International District, constructed in 1937 despite the Chinese Exclusion Act and discriminatory barriers to single family homes in the neighborhood. On the lot, the Wing intends to build 60 affordable apartments above a street-level community gathering space.

Since November 2016, OPCD and partner departments, including Office of Economic Development (OED), Office of Housing (OH), Department of Neighborhoods (DON), Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), and Office for Civil Rights (OCR), have been coordinating the administration of the EDI Fund.

The EDI Fund was established with $16 million in one-time funding from the sale of a property. As part of her 2019 budget, Mayor Durkan established consistent funding using a tax on short-term rentals that provides $5 million in ongoing annual revenues. The fund also receives $430,000 in annual funding from the federal Community Development Block Grant.

An Advisory Board helps guide the EDI and to provide feedback and approval of the criteria and decision-making processes for the fund. The board provided recommendations to the City on the funding decisions announced today.

Projects were evaluated on their ability to positively impact several equity drivers, that lead to racial equity outcomes including:

  • Promoting economic opportunity through education, job training, and enhancing community cultural anchors.
  • Helping marginalized populations, businesses, and community organizations stay in their neighborhoods.
  • Enhancing health outcomes, access to healthy, culturally relevant food, and supporting safe environments.

Successful applicants demonstrated a deep relationship with the community they are seeking to serve and feature an inclusive community process, with community members serving in their organizational leadership.

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Housing Choices Initiative Aimed at Expanding Options

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Seattle aspires to be a welcoming city where people of all backgrounds feel they belong and can build a stable and fulfilling life. Our current housing affordability crisis represents a major challenge to this vision. 

The City of Seattle and its partners have a long history of addressing housing affordability by investing in people and communities and building rent- and income-restricted housing for lower-income families and individuals.

To build on this work, the City has launched Housing Choices, a new initiative focused on expanding market-rate housing options, in more places, for more people. This effort is a part of Housing Seattle Now, Mayor Durkan’s vision and key actions for the City’s approach to addressing our housing crisis.

Housing Choices explores how our housing market can better serve the needs of current and future residents through:

  • Family-sized homes for sale
  • Condominiums and co-ops that can open the door to home ownership
  • Two- and three-bedroom rental apartments
  • Housing with smaller units and shared common space
  • Accessible ownership opportunities for older and disabled residents


As a first step in this initiative, we have released the Housing Choices Background Report, providing initial analysis on Seattle’s housing market to inform the conversation about how we can meet our community’s needs.

We want to hear your perspective to understand the issues and explore potential responses. Please fill out our 15-minute Housing Choices survey. We will also host conversations with community groups, historically underrepresented communities, and stakeholders throughout 2019. Your input, along with additional data and analysis, will inform future recommendations on responses to our housing crisis. To submit questions and comments, or to host a conversation on this topic, please contact Brennon Staley of the Office of Planning and Community Development at brennon.staley@seattle.gov.

Housing Choices is one part of the City’s comprehensive work on housing. It will unfold in close coordination with the Mayor’s Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council, which will recommend strategies to close the gap between City-subsidized and private-market housing.  We anticipate releasing specific recommendations to increase housing choices in early 2020 based on your input and input from the Mayor’s Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council. Together, we can create a city where more people can find homes that meet their needs.

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Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces Plan for Transformational Investments in Housing, Jobs, Public Spaces, and Transportation Projects through Agreement to Sell Underutilized City-Owned Properties on Mercer Street

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Nearly $300 Million in Public Benefits from Agreement with Buyer Would Include 175 Affordable Homes on Site, Family-Wage Jobs on Site, New 30,000 Square-Foot Community Center on Site

Standing with community members in the heart of South Lake Union, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced her plan for transformational investments in housing, homelessness, family-wage jobs, a new community center, and transportation safety through the sale of underutilized City-owned properties along Mercer Street.

Under the agreement for the proposed sale of the properties, Seattle taxpayers would receive nearly $300 million in public benefits, including: 175 affordable homes on site; $5 million to combat homelessness; a new, 30,000 square-foot community center on site operated by Seattle Parks & Recreation; $78 million of the proceeds will invest in housing in communities across Seattle; and $16.7 million of the proceeds will support new and planned transportation projects to improve safety and increase options for getting around Seattle.

“This is a generational opportunity for Seattle,” said Mayor Durkan. “Cities our size rarely get the chance to take an underused property we own and make bold investments to create jobs, create more affordable and mixed income housing throughout the city, and build more safe transportation connections. I believe that years from now, people will look back at this chance and say we seized an incredible opportunity to make our City better by reinvesting the proceeds directly in housing across Seattle. I look forward to working with the City Council in the coming weeks to deliver these investments in housing, jobs, great public spaces, and transportation projects across Seattle.”

With new affordable housing in South Lake Union, new initiatives to combat displacement and the creation of new housing opportunities, the announcement is a key component of Mayor Durkan’s “Housing Seattle Now” initiative announced on July 24.

Mayor Durkan has transmitted legislation to the City Council to move ahead on the agreement with potential buyer Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.,  the first and longest-tenured which owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life sciences campuses in key urban innovation clusters. Alexandria has supported the Seattle life science cluster for more than 20 years with a number of notable office/laboratory properties, including the Lake Union Steam Plant at 1201 Eastlake Avenue East, the Juno Building at 400 Dexter Avenue North, and its most recently completed development at 188 East Blaine Street.

The nearly $300 million in public benefits that the City of Seattle would receive from Alexandria include:

  • $143,500,000 cash at closing, including a $5 million contribution to support strategies that address homelessness in Seattle;
  • 175 units of affordable housing on site that are affordable for families earning up to 60 percent of the area median income ($66,400/family of four) and will remain affordable for 50 years without any public subsidy;
  • A new 30,000 square-foot community center located on site that will be operated by Seattle Parks & Recreation with rent waived for up to 40 years;
  • Transportation improvements including the extension of 8th Avenue as a pedestrian right-of-way through the site between Mercer and Roy, and the extension of the two-way protected bike lane on the north side of Mercer Street between 9th Avenue and Dexter.

Of the $143,500,000 in cash proceeds the City would receive from the sale, Mayor Durkan is proposing to:

  • Invest $78 million in housing uses, including:
    • $57,200,000 to address displacement and create opportunities for equitable transit-oriented development through a strategic property acquisition fund and revolving Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) acquisition loan fund;
    • $15,000,000 to increase investments in permanently affordable homeownership; and,
    • $6,000,000 for a new financing tool to create more affordable accessory dwelling units like backyard cottages and in-law apartments for low- and middle-income homeowners.
  • Invest $16.7 million to support new and planned transportation projects to improve safety and increase options for getting around Seattle.

Other negotiated benefits of the potential sale would include:

  • A Project Labor Agreement (PLA) to govern wages and working conditions on the initial construction;
  • Alexandria must meet or exceed the LEED Gold standard for building sustainability;
  • Labor harmony agreement requirements;
  • Alexandria will carry the responsibility of any environmental remediation, estimated to be at least $10 to $15 million; and,
  • Alexandria will make a Mandatory Housing Affordability payment to the Seattle Office of Housing, in an amount equal to the applicable code requirements for residential and commercial projects at the time of development.

Because a portion of the Mercer Properties was purchased with revenues from the commercial parking tax and gas tax, a portion of the proceeds is restricted for transportation uses only. The sale also delivers the resources needed to meet $29,100,000 in prior funding commitments by the City Council with funds to repay Interfund Loans for transportation ($24.8M) and homeless services ($4.3M).

“The sale of the Mercer Mega Block will help more people who work in Seattle achieve their dream of living in Seattle, too,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien. “Seattle is experiencing growth that is almost unheard of elsewhere in the country right now. As a result, Seattle also needs more workforce housing. Today’s announcement builds on a body of work my colleagues and I began in 2013, long before so many investors were interested in this property.  I want to thank Mayor Durkan for brokering a deal that strengthens our City now and continues developing a South Lake Union that helps everyone in Seattle prosper from this opportunity.  I look forward to Council’s consideration of this proposal that offers millions of dollars we can invest in transportation, housing and homelessness priorities.”

“The South Lake Union neighborhood has been an incubator for inventors, artists, educators, engineers, writers, scientists and countless others (think: Paul Allen, PATH, Fred Hutch, Pearl Jam, Seattle Times, Amazon, Cornish, Seattle Children’s),” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. “Through this transaction we will add hundreds of affordable housing units to this neighborhood– plus public amenities like a long desired community center.  The addition of more homes to this neighborhood, as well as improved connections to Seattle Center and Downtown, will make space for our kids and grandkids to live near where they work.  This is urban livability at its finest.”

“I’m excited that Mayor Durkan is investing strategically to promote permanently affordable homeownership in the Rainier Valley,” said Tony To, Director Emeritus and Othello Square Project Director at HomeSight. “These sites will help residents stay and thrive in neighborhoods that they have grown and grown up in and will continue to provide homeownership opportunities for generations to come.”

“This is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and we are grateful to see much-needed resources for transportation connections included in the vision of this project,” said Alex Hudson, Executive Director of the Transportation Choices Coalition. “In addition to the projects improving safe routes for walking and biking included as some of the on-site benefits, we are thrilled to see Mayor Durkan include over $16 million from the sale of this property for multi-modal transportation projects.”

“We see every day what we see and celebrate today: Big solutions, big wins made possible through innovative partnerships that address our critical needs and create game changing opportunities for all residents of the city,” said Thatcher Bailey, President and CEO of the Seattle Parks Foundation. “As Seattle continues to grow successful partnerships like this will serve as touchstones, reminding us how much we can deliver to our communities when we work together.”

The properties include three parcels comprising of 2.86 acres of land in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Since 2014, the City has been in discussions on how to best utilize the properties to benefit all of Seattle.

In July of 2018, the City issued a RFP seeking a purchaser who could provide a proposal that met the City’s vision and criteria for the future of the properties.

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