Daily Plan It Office of Planning & Community Development

The Daily Plan It Blog

A OPCD Blog

City of Seattle and Sound Transit Enter New Phase of Visioning for Development at Mount Baker

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Community members are invited to provide feedback on development ideas for affordable housing and more through the month of June

Click on image to enlarge.
Image courtesy of Sound Transit.

After many years of community planning, the Mount Baker station area is entering an exciting new phase. The City of Seattle and Sound Transit are working in partnership with community stakeholders and a consultant team to develop preferred site features for the City’s Mount Baker sites and the Sound Transit East Portal site. The Mount Baker sites will provide affordable housing, childcare and an early learning research facility. Sound Transit seeks to redevelop its adjacent East Portal site for affordable housing. Both sites have opportunity for potential open space.

This transformational redevelopment opportunity fulfills longstanding City, Sound Transit, and community goals to create more affordable housing and a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area around the light rail station.

Watch this presentation about Transit Oriented Development in the Mount Baker area.

In addition, an online survey is available from June 9-23 for community to comment on the site design ideas and provide additional feedback. The survey is available in English, Amharic, Cambodian (Khmer), Lao, Oromo, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese. 

The Mount Baker station area is a community of residents, small businesses, and neighborhood institutions that reflects the diversity of the Rainier Valley. Decades of planning have envisioned a station area as a vibrant neighborhood destination that is welcoming and safe for all. Planning efforts include the North Rainier Neighborhood Plan and Accessible Mount Baker. 

In June 2020, the University of Washington transferred three parcels next to the Link light rail station, including the former UW Laundry site, to the City of Seattle to redevelop for affordable housing, childcare and an early learning research facility.  Redevelopment of the City of Seattle Mount Baker sites and Sound Transit’s East Portal site will be a multi-year, multi-phase process. There will continue to be  opportunities for community engagement throughout the redevelopment of the sites. 

For more information, please visit the Office of Housing website or email Stephanie Velasco at Stephanie.Valasco@seattle.gov.

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$30 Million Strategic Investment Fund to Support Seattle Site Acquisition for Community Projects and Anti-Displacement Efforts

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Building off the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), Major Jenny A. Durkan announced today that Seattle’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) is seeking proposals for $30 million for land and property acquisition to respond to disproportionate displacement pressures impacting Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. Requests for Proposals are now open for organizations in high displacement risk neighborhoods, areas with low access to opportunity, and places where future public investments are likely to spur transformational change. In addition to ongoing funding provided by EDI and the Office of Housing, this investment is part of Mayor Durkan’s commitment for $100 million in funding allocated to support Black, Indigenous and people of color communities who face inordinate disparities due to systemic racism and oppression.  

“During the pandemic, Seattle continued to be the fastest-growing major U.S. city and we must continue to respond to the displacement pressures that are impacting BIPOC communities,” said Mayor Durkan. “In the years ahead, major public investments like new light rail stations will transform several Seattle neighborhoods. The Strategic Investment Fund is a unique opportunity to support equitable development so that all communities can continue to call Seattle home. Investments of this type will take years to right the wrongs of the past. That’s why I’ve committed to making another $100 million investment as part of my proposed 2022 budget.” 

The SIF was created to invest in community wealth building and capital projects that create opportunities for multiple community benefits. The fund will support site acquisition projects that could include: affordable housing, affordable commercial spaces, public open spaces, cultural spaces, and childcare facilities. The fund will consider proposals in areas with significant planned public investments, like light rail station areas and parks, where increased access to opportunities will likely increase displacement pressures.  

“Discriminatory practices in public and private investment, disinvestment, and public policy have significantly impacted BIPOC communities, as well as Queer and Transgender BIPOC, people with disabilities, and low-income families,” said Rico Quirindongo, director of the Office of Planning and Community Development. “The Strategic Investment Fund will support site acquisition for major community-led projects in growing and changing neighborhoods.”  

The primary objectives of the SIF are:    

  • Respond to immediate displacement pressures.     
  • Create long-term impact by strengthening community relationships and creating wealth in historically marginalized communities.     
  • Co-locate affordable housing with other community benefits, such as affordable commercial spaces, public open spaces, cultural spaces, and childcare facilities.  
  • Fill gaps in the existing development finance ecosystem. 

The Strategic Investment Fund has $30 million available with a maximum of $5 million per award. Sites must be in neighborhoods with high displacement risk and near existing or planned transit and parks investments. Proposals are due July 14 at 11:59 PM. 

Eligible Applicants include:  

  • Community groups at highest risk of displacement  
  • Commercial or residential tenants at risk of displacement 
  • Property owners in focus areas interested in discounting their land 
  • Developers or owners of affordable housing with vacancies in commercial spaces, who are interested in offering community ownership opportunities. 

Many urgent and qualified investment opportunities exist in Seattle, and the SIF is unable to accommodate them all. The City of Seattle has created a Community Advisory Group (CAG) comprised of community representatives with diverse experience and expertise in affordable housing, community development, and equitable development to assist in the process of investing SIF funds. The CAG will review land acquisition and investment opportunities to create a list of Recommended Funding Opportunities. This list will inform the Strategic Investment Fund Spending Plan that will be presented to the Mayor and City Council for approval later this summer.    

The Strategic Investment Fund is a City-wide effort the involves the Office of Planning and Community Development, Office of Housing, Office of Economic Development, Office of Arts and Culture, City Budget Office, Department of Neighborhoods, and Office of Civil Rights. 

For more information, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/opcd/strategicinvestmentfund. 

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Equitable Development Initiative Projects Share Their Stories of Service to the Community

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For Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the Office of Planning and Community Development has partnered with youth filmmakers to create videos of two of our Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) projects. These videos seek to  uplift, empower, and educate  about the value of these community-led projects in a time when information on local resources can be scarce, especially during this current pandemic and increased xenophobia towards AAPI communities. 

“In Seattle, we are committed to empowering the AAPI community, embracing their vision for a positive future in Seattle, and lifting up their voices and stories,” says Rico Quirindongo, OPCD Interim Director. “We must respond to racial injustice and violence by honoring and recognizing the value of our many AAPI cultures — and by investing the City’s time, energies, and resources. The City as an institution has played a role in causing harm to the AAPI community, and we must challenge ourselves to repair past harm and prioritize healing practices in our future work with this community.”

Cham Refugees Community of Seattle video, courtesy of Remove the Gap Productions.

The Cham Refugees Community of Seattle is a nonprofit organization that provides Islamic educational, social, and cultural relevant services to Cham and other ethnic minorities in South Seattle and South King County for over 30 years. The organization plans to upgrade their existing location in South Seattle into a 12,000 square foot community center. The Development will be sharia-compliant and will expand programming for youth, the elderly, and disabled members of the community. 

Friends of Little Saigon video, courtesy of Remove the Gap Productions.

Friends of Little Saigon was formed in 2011 to promote, plan, and advocate for their neighborhood, located in the Chinatown-International District. The Little Saigon Landmark Project seeks to address displacement amongst local businesses and development pressures due to rising rents. The facility will be a gathering place that will bring together the district’s cultural, shopping, and culinary aspects in a distinctive physical anchor. The mixed-use project will include a cultural center, Southeast Asian grocery, Emerald Night Market, and restaurant. Each component of the development will reflect Vietnamese Americans’ rich culture, history, and future.

About Our Remove the Gap Productions Filmmakers:  

The video projects were created by Remove the Gap Productions (RG Pro), a youth-led film production company at the Northwest Film Forum (NWFF). RG Pro believes that to achieve equity and advancement in today’s film industry and creative economy, female gender non-conforming and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) filmmakers must be active participants in all aspects of media production. RG Pro provides training, mentorship, professional development, and early career production experiences. Their immersive and sustained mentorship model helps build lasting relationships with various film and media professionals.

Ha’aheo Auwue-Dekker joined RG Pro in 2017 as a participant in the Apprenticeship workshop, becoming an Intern for their Apprenticeship Program in 2018. They have worked on numerous projects for RGPro, and in many capacities such as creative ideation team member, camera operator and audio recorder as well as editing. 

Vivian Chuang recently graduated in Film Studies from the University of Washington and was a participant in RG Pro’s Apprenticeship Program in 2019. Since then Vivian has been a valuable contributor to their client’s projects. 

Camille Winslow is a Seattle native and is passionate about filmmaking and social justice issues. She holds a BA in Design from Western Washington University and a certificate in Film & Video Production from the University of Washington. She is a freelance video editor who has worked with Remove the Gap Productions since April 2020.

Video production was overseen by lead producer Laura Jean Cronin and NWFF executive director Vivian Hua. 

About the Equitable Development Initiative: 

The EDI addresses displacement and the unequal distribution of opportunities to sustain a diverse Seattle. The EDI fosters community leadership and supports organizations to promote equitable access to housing, jobs, education, parks, cultural expression, healthy food and other community needs and amenities. For more information, visit the EDI website. 

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A Special Message from Our Equitable Development Initiative Staff

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Dear EDI Family,

It has been a struggle to determine the tone, purpose, or strategic intent of this statement. This is a follow up to our
colleagues’ open letter and compassionate response from our community partners. We hope this reads as heart felt. We want you to know we hear you, and we will not back down from the work.

To our colleagues, Bo & Ubax. The ripple of your absence was felt deeply by us from the moment the mic dropped. With your verbal confirmations and interim transfer of responsibilities to division and departmental teammates, we are
willingly leaning in and rooting for your wellness. We applaud your unapologetic stance centering your values and the
protection of self. Enough was enough.

To our EDI community and partners in this work. We acknowledge and appreciate your public response in support of
health, the EDI Team, and call to action stated in the open letter.

We will not reiterate the many reasons that have brought us to this point. Though we will state what may not be so
obvious. The EDI Team will continue to move programmatic priorities established by the communities we serve. So
many of you contribute to the depth, functionality, and efficacy of EDI. Through your participation on the EDI Board,
review committees, activism and countless hours organizing to bring the vision of an equitable Seattle to light, one
project, practice shift, and policy win at a time.

The EDI Team through the following, is committed to valuing this moment and change that it will bring at the City level, ripple by ripple:

  • Supporting our current EDI Project Sponsors
  • Distributing funds for the Land Acquisitions Fund
  • Leading the process and distribution of funds for the General EDI RFP, currently accepting applications
  • Leading an RFP process and distribution of funds for the Strategic Investment Fund
  • Supporting and advocating for the successful roll out of a Community Driven Participatory Budgeting Process

In service,
The EDI Team

Michael Blumson, EDI Fund
David Goldberg, EDI Fund
Giulia Pasciuto, EDI Land Acquisition & Strategic Investment Funds
Sauncha Romey, Indigenous Seattle Intern
Katie Sheehy, Interim Point Person for the EDI Board and Grantees Convening
Patrice Thomas, Interim EDI Division Manager
Andrew Tran, EDI Land Acquisition Fund

Download a signed version of this letter here.

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OPCD names Lauren Flemister Interim Deputy Director

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Lauren Flemister, Community Planning Manager at the Office of Planning and Community Development, has been named Interim Deputy Director of the office. Flemister joined the office in 2018, where she has focused on coordinating station area planning with Sound Transit, as well as expanded focus on prioritizing equitable development in OPCD community planning projects.

“I know Lauren will continue to bring a sense of joy to her work as she takes on this expanded leadership role,” said OPCD Interim Director Rico Quirindongo. “She will help strengthen our storytelling on the wide benefits of our work, especially in BIPOC communities. Lauren is committed to listening to and centering the voices of those whose lives we seek to benefit – which, of course, helps produce better outcomes.” 

“As Seattle emerges from COVID-19 and determines how to address the turmoil caused by continued racial inequity and injustice, we must acknowledge that this is an inflection point,” said Flemister. “We must seize this opportunity to shape our work to match our values and follow community’s lead as we build a more equitable city; with access to housing, open space, and economic opportunity. I look forward to working with our incredible OPCD team as we redefine our planning practices to meet this moment.”

Flemister will continue to lead the agency’s Community Planning team.

Before joining the City of Seattle, Flemister worked for the cities of Tacoma and Auburn, and in private sector architecture and planning in Houston. Her academic credentials include an undergraduate Architecture degree from Princeton and three graduate degrees from the University of Texas (Architecture; City and Regional Planning; and Public Affairs). 

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Celebrating the Resilience of Seattle’s Duwamish Valley

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2020 Duwamish Valley Program Update & Progress Report

By Alberto J. Rodríguez (OSE) & David W. Goldberg (OPCD)

Resilient communities have called the Duwamish Valley home since time immemorial — from the fishing and winter campgrounds of the Duwamish Tribe to the first European settlers in the Pacific Northwest, up to the people living in it today. The neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown are close-knit communities, home to nearly 6,000 people and numerous businesses and industries. Yet these communities have experienced inequities for years, and both climate change and COVID-19 have magnified existing health, economic, and environmental disparities. 

Since 2016, the City of Seattle’s Duwamish Valley Program has been working to create real positive change in the Duwamish Valley and build a more equitable and resilient city. Through collaboration with community organizations and residents, we are working to advance a new model for how city policies and programs can address health, equity, and climate change for our residents and businesses in the Duwamish Valley. But, as you might imagine, things got a little complicated in 2020.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to our local government, ranging from budget cuts to staff emergency response redeployment and more. We are extremely proud of the work we did and for our nimble response to ensure Duwamish Valley stakeholders were connected to and benefitted from the City’s COVID‐19 relief and response efforts. Despite encountering many obstacles and delays due to the pandemic, the Duwamish Valley Action Team (DAT) made progress on implementing the Duwamish Valley Action Plan. We would like to highlight the following:

COVID-19 Relief & Response:

In partnership with Villa Comunitaria, Concord PTA, and Georgetown community leaders, we were able to support 34 South Park and Georgetown families and individuals with rental assistance, utility payments, back-to-school expenses, and healthcare costs. In addition, we were able to provide technical assistance and/or four rounds of protective supplies and gear to 17 women- and BIPOC-owned small businesses in Georgetown and South Park.

Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area:

The Georgetown Flume is a historic site that transported water from the Duwamish River to the Georgetown Steam Plant until it was decommissioned. The City and community partners are working to convert the land into a new community asset. The eastern portion of the site will be developed into a new off-leash area, and the western portion will be developed into a shared use path for those walking, biking, or rolling between Georgetown and South Park. Learn more about project from our colleagues in the Parks department.

8th Ave. S in Georgetown:

New drainage improvements to 8th Ave. S and the street end park have begun! The sidewalk now meets current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, making it easier and safer for people of all ages and abilities to walk to destinations like the Georgetown business district, South Park Community Center, South Park Library, and bus stops. Learn about these great improvements from the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Affordable Housing in South Park:

Working with the Office of Housing and South Park community partners, new affordable homeownership will be developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, the Office of Housing is in the process of purchasing two parcels for the future development of affordable rental housing (a first for the City!).

Supporting the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center

With support from OPCD, we provided financial support to Duwamish Tribal Services to support the improve access to the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center and programs, which will include an expansion of their parking lot.

Climate & Community Resilience Grant:

The Duwamish Valley Program applied for and received $600,000 in funding to continue developing and implementing the Resilience District concept. Funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will support the City with developing a Resilience District — a geographic strategy, inspired by global models, focused on adapting to flood risk and other climate change impacts as a key first step towards adapting to a changing climate, while taking a comprehensive approach that fosters community resilience.

And there’s even more!

We would also like to celebrate how the Duwamish Valley Action Team made great progress on all seven priority areas in the Action Plan, including:

In 2021 and 2022, many of these projects will go from planning and design to construction, so you will be seeing on-the-ground improvements. Additionally, in the next couple of months, we will be officially launching our Resilience District work and look forward to co-developing solutions with residents, industries, philanthropy, and other non-City partners that will have a positive effect on our communities’ wellbeing for years to come.

Thanks for your ongoing support. Here’s to a resilient Duwamish Valley!

Alberto and David

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AAPI Heritage Month message from Interim Director Rico Quirindongo

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Community Partners,

In May, we commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and this year’s commemoration comes at a critical moment — as we emerge from this pandemic and as we seek to elevate and renew the national dialogue on racial equity.

Since the opening weeks of this pandemic, the last Administration and their allies polluted our national conversation with language rooted in hate and discrimination targeting AAPI people. Scapegoating Asian Americans for the COVID public health emergency was a deliberate political strategy that has echoed across our country. We all must renounce this cynical ploy, and the race-based violence that has resulted, including in our region.

This recent racist scapegoating is just the latest shameful episode of its kind in our nation’s history. From the Chinese Exclusion Act, forced annexation of Hawaiʻi, colonization of the Philippines, the internment of Japanese Americans, atrocities committed during the Vietnam War, to recent events, we must acknowledge our past even as we work together to build a better future. And that we still have a long journey ahead of us. 

In Seattle, we are committed to empowering the AAPI community, embracing your vision for a positive future in Seattle, and lifting up your voices and stories. We must respond to racial injustice and violence by honoring and recognizing the value of our many AAPI cultures — and by investing the City’s time, energies, and resources. The City as an institution has played a role in causing harm to the AAPI community, and we must challenge ourselves to repair past harm and prioritize healing practices in our future work with this community.  

To this end, OPCD is developing a new community engagement ethos that prioritizes our outreach efforts to people who historically have been shut out of our planning processes, including many in the AAPI community. Our ongoing work in the Chinatown International District will be grounded in community leadership. As we work with Sound Transit, SDOT and others on our vision for a new Jackson Hub, elevating neighborhood voices and seeking better opportunities for residents will be at the heart of our work.

And through the Equitable Development Initiative, we are investing in community-led projects intended to fight residential and cultural displacement pressures to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to make a home in Seattle. We have already committed funding to several AAPI-led projects (Cham Refugees Community; Little Saigon Landmark Project; Filipino Community of Seattle; Wing Luke Museum), and we continue to add new community-initiated projects to our EDI. This month, we are launching a new storytelling project to share more about these visionary projects and those benefitting other communities of color in Seattle. We look forward to working with you in the years ahead.

Rico Quirindongo, AIA
Interim Director

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Our Vision of a Walkable, Affordable, Transit-Oriented Mt. Baker

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The Mt Baker Station Area has been the focus of several community planning efforts over the past decade. Through the North Rainier Neighborhood Plan and Mt Baker Station Area Design Guidelines, the community has articulated a clear vision for a safe, vibrant, and affordable Town Center. Since the completion of the Sound Transit Link light rail station, the Office of Planning and Community Development, the Department of Transportation, the Office of Housing and other City agencies have been working with community on investments in safer streets, affordable housing, small business development, and open space improvements as steps toward realizing this vision. We are currently partnering with Sound Transit to redevelop a six-acre site immediately west of the Mt. Baker light rail station with affordable homes, childcare, and a potential opportunity for open space. We’re also designing walking and biking improvements to increase safety, including a new protected bike lane and safer crossings near the intersection of Rainier Ave South and Martin Luther King Jr Way South, along with other safety improvements.
 
There is preliminary application material filed with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) for the Pepsi Co. site at 2300 26th Avenue South under tracking number 002421-21PA. At this point in the process, it appears the applicant is planning to maintain the existing use as a warehouse facility while making modifications for parking. This may be allowed as an existing use, however, all applicable code standards for the zone must be met with any new development or alterations. A complete permit application has not yet been submitted for review for this site.
 
The site at 2700 Rainier Ave South (Lowe’s) encompasses approximately 13 acres of land and is zoned Seattle Mixed North Rainier with a height limit of 145 feet (SM-NR 145 (M)). The “M” suffix requires qualifying proposals to contribute towards the City’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program. The area is also located within the Mt Baker Station Area Overlay District. The station area overlay district leverages existing transit improvements by promoting transit-oriented development with vibrant street-level uses and improvements for pedestrian mobility. Currently, this overlay district prohibits new warehouses and large expansions of any existing warehouses.
 
At present, the applicant has submitted preliminary application material, which includes a brief project description, a site plan, and applicant contact information listed under a tracking number 002423-21PA.  No complete permit applications have been filed and no other plans have been provided to SDCI. On April 6, SDCI staff asked for more detailed information to process the Preliminary Application Form, which must be completed before the applicant begins the permitting process.
 
Please use the provided links above to track both proposals, as they may evolve if a permit application is filed.

Sincerely,

Rico Quirindongo, Interim Director
Office of Planning and Community Development

Nathan Torgelson, Director
Department of Construction
and Inspections

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Draft Plan Captures Community Vision for NE Seattle Neighborhoods Around New Sound Transit Stations

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Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today released a draft station area plan for the neighborhoods surrounding Sound Transit’s future light rail stations at 130th St NE and 148th St NE.

“Having a multi-modal city that moves people out of their cars and onto high-quality transit, is key to reducing carbon emissions, as well as ensuring communities have the resources they need to get to work, school, and appointments in between as we begin to reopen our City,” said Mayor Durkan. “This new Sound Transit station will bring positive change to the neighborhood. We can shape that change to ensure that more people can live near excellent transit, access the station easily, and find the services they need in their growing neighborhood.” 

The draft plan expresses the community vision for a neighborhood with new housing and services with easy walking and bike access to the stations. There is strong interest in the neighborhood for day care, coffee shops, and other small retail. The community also expressed support for protecting environmentally sensitive areas near Thornton Creek and the Licorice Fern Natural Area. The draft plan does not consider changes to existing uses at Jackson Park Golf Course. 

The City is considering early action for the block immediately adjacent to the future station at 130th St. Last year, the Seattle City Council requested a study of possible Comprehensive Plan amendments that would allow additional housing, small businesses, and other services across the street from the station. The Council may consider an amendment to the Future Land Use Map later this year, the first step in allowing construction of new housing types or retail. Zoning changes would only be considered after further environmental review. 

The draft plan released today will be refined through additional community input over the coming months. The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) is currently seeking feedback through an online open house and survey and will continue to raise awareness of the draft plan with a mailing to the neighborhood. After the plan is finalized later this year, OPCD is planning to conduct a zoning study for the area within a 10-minute walk (about 1/2 mile) of the future stations.  

“This is your draft plan and we need your continued involvement to finalize your vision for the future of the neighborhood,” said Sam Assefa, director of OPCD. “Light rail service will transform this area forever. We want to ensure that this massive public investment will not only serve the needs of today’s residents, but also improve equity of access to both local and regional opportunities for generations to come.” 

The station at 130th St NE was approved by voters in 2016 and is currently scheduled to open in 2031, but that timeline is subject to Sound Transit’s current realignment process. Sound Transit is on track to open the station at 148th St NE and the Lynnwood extension that passes through the 130th St Station in 2024. 

Councilmember Debora Juarez, a leading advocate for the 130th St Station, sponsored a resolution to study accelerating construction of the station so that it could open as early as 2026.  

“North Seattle is ready for growth and economic recovery,” said Councilmember Juarez (District 5). “NHL Seattle’s headquarters and training facility, opening in fall 2021, will bring 800,000 unique visitors to the area every year. We cannot wait seven more years for accessible mobility options. This draft plan promises a one-stop shopping and living experience – where you can pick up your child from daycare after work, swing by the grocery store, and take a walk through your neighborhood park on your way home. It’s clear that folks want a more walkable, more connected eco-friendly way-of-life, and this draft plan is our blueprint for making it a reality.” 

The City has been working with community members and organizations in the area since 2019. At the outset, OPCD, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), conducted open houses, workshops, and community meetings to generate a shared vision for the station area. During the pandemic, the City produced narrated presentations and conducted online surveys to further refine that community input.

SDOT released a multimodal access study in December 2020. The City is considering 18 projects for a better walking and biking connection across I-5, improved access to local bus routes, and new trails to existing open space in the station area.

The future 130th St Station is located between the Bitter Lake and Lake City urban villages. The station at 148th St will be served by future Sound Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit service along 145th St NE.  

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A Message from Our Director, Sam Assefa

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Community Partners,  

Over the past four years I have been honored to work with you as we advance community priorities in the City of Seattle. By building coalitions, together we have advanced equitable community investment and created new partnerships to build a more equitable, vibrant, and just city. I am tremendously proud of what we have accomplished.  

I wanted to share with you the news that I will be stepping down on March 26. This year is a year of transition and opportunity, and I’m excited to take on unique challenges and give back to the community in new and exciting ways, including continuing some community engagement this Spring on the $100 million for BIPOC communities.

With your steadfast advocacy, we made great gains for the Seattle community. Implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability will add thousands of affordable homes to the City’s housing portfolio, with more than $66 million in funding secured to date. Our Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) has taken off, going from a pilot with one-time funding to a fully sustained program with dozens of projects working to keep our communities of color grounded in Seattle. Since 2017, in addition to EDI funds, these organizations have leveraged more than $105 million in other City funding. And when the community asked for consistent standards to transfer City-owned property to community based organizations, my office established the Mutual and Offsetting Benefits property transfers criteria, helping organizations like the Central Area Senior Center and Byrd Barr Place to own their properties in the historic Central District, which has seen the worst impacts of displacement and gentrification.

While I am looking forward to new challenges, rest assured the Office of Planning and Community Development will be in great hands. Mayor Durkan has asked deputy director Rico Quirindongo to assume the role of Interim Director. Rico has decades of planning experience and I have witnessed firsthand his commitment to urban development centered on community needs. Rico’s background in civic design through inclusive engagement will help advance the departments mission of taking an equitable approach to planning and community investment. Many thanks again to each of you. Your partnership and advocacy has helped shape a Seattle that is beginning to benefit all of our neighbors.

– Sam Asseffa

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