Newsletter May 9, 2023

• Seattle reports fewer homeless encampments and declining crime
• Seattle considers implementing its own drug use law amid inaction by State Legislature
• Seattle renews and expands Downtown Metropolitan Improvement District for another 10 years
• Amazon to Move 2,000 Workers from Seattle to Bellevue
• Elliott Way opens a key piece in Seattle’s $750 million waterfront project

Seattle reports fewer homeless encampments and declining crime

The Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell released encouraging news on the City’s struggle to move unsheltered people from tents and RVs to shelter. The Mayor reported a 42% decline in tents and a 29% reduction in encampment RVs in the first three months of 2023 compared to December 2022 levels.

More than 600 people accepted offers of shelter in the first quarter of 2023, although that is still only about 50% of those who received offers. According to Deputy Mayor Tiffany Washington, “Folks have just decided they aren’t going to go into congregate shelter . . . . They say, ‘I want a door.’”

Danny Westneat, a columnist for The Seattle Times, noted that the City missed an opportunity to address the “I want a door” desire of people experiencing homelessness by failing to build more tiny homes over the past few years. As Westneat observed, they are cheap to build and “have doors.”

Westneat also reported declining gun violence in most of the largest U.S. cities, and Seattle is no exception. In fact, the first quarter saw a 50% drop in the number of people killed or injured by a gun in Seattle. The first four months of 2023 also saw reductions in aggravated assaults (18%), robberies (30%), and thefts (29%).

Seattle considers implementing its own drug use law amid inaction by State Legislature

Seattle is considering implementing its own drug use law as the state Legislature failed to replace an expiring statute. With the current stopgap law on drug possession set to expire on July 1, Gov. Jay Inslee is urging a special session to fill the policy gap. Seattle City Councilmembers Sara Nelson and Alex Pedersen and City Attorney Ann Davison propose making public drug use a simple misdemeanor to address the widespread use of fentanyl and meth in public spaces. They argue this is necessary to support businesses and improve public safety.

Local officials are disappointed with the state Legislature's inaction and urge them to find a compromise before the law expires. The Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce both said they preferred that the state address drug use more broadly but would support the city bill if necessary. A potential city policy would focus on intervention on public use rather than just possession.

Seattle renews and expands Downtown Metropolitan Improvement District for another 10 years

On May 2, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation by Councilmember Sara Nelson to fund the Metropolitan Improvement District (“MID”) through 2033. The legislation also expands the downtown area served by the MID, which is managed by the Downtown Seattle Association.

The MID’s critical services to downtown include:

• Downtown ambassadors who clean up streets and sidewalks and provide security
• Organizing family-friendly events
• Transportation and commuting services
• Promoting and marketing downtown
• Research and economic development

In the past year alone, the MID’s 130 ambassadors:

• Collected more than 1.2 million gallons of trash from downtown sidewalks and alleys
• Removed more than 37,000 graffiti tags and stickers from public and private property
• Helped almost 29,000 people with directions
• Conducted more than 6,800 welfare checks on unsheltered individuals

The expanded service area will now extend from Denny Way to the south end of Pioneer Square.

Amazon calls employees back to the office and moves 2,000 workers from Seattle to Bellevue

Last week, Amazon workers returned to the office in downtown Seattle, marking the first official day back in the office after three years of working remotely. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the move to in-person work in February, stating the company can’t operate at its full potential without workers returning to the office. Employees must be at work in person at least three days a week.

Businesses in downtown Seattle are excited about the increase in foot traffic, and the Downtown Seattle Association expects most workers to come into the city on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Downtown Seattle Association says more people mean more business opportunities, and the city has seen a steady increase in worker traffic this year.

According to a recent article in the Puget Sound Business Journal, Amazon is planning to transfer a total of 2,000 employees from their Seattle offices to two new downtown Bellevue towers by the end of 2023. This move is expected to boost Amazon’s headcount in Bellevue to over 12,000 once the towers are up and running. Currently, Amazon has 55,000 employees in Seattle and 10,000 in Bellevue.

Elliott Way opens a key piece in Seattle’s $750 million waterfront project

Seattle’s waterfront is undergoing a $750 million redevelopment project set to conclude in 2025, featuring the new Alaskan Way, sidewalks, bike and bus lanes, aquarium expansions, and reconstructed piers. The highlight is the Overlook Walk, a large pedestrian walkway connecting Pike Place Market to the waterfront.

Elliott Way, a four-lane road, has received mixed reactions. Some view it as a useful route for freight and bicyclists, while others argue it disrupts a pedestrian-heavy area. The street, named Dzidzilalich in Lushootseed, branches east from the waterfront, with northbound lanes connecting to Western Avenue and southbound lanes starting on Elliott Avenue.

Critics have raised concerns about Elliott Way’s width and car capacity, comparing it to the dismantled viaduct. However, officials maintain that it’s not a highway and will carry less traffic than the viaduct did.

The opening of Elliott Way and the waterfront’s completion are vital to the city’s downtown recovery plan, according to Mayor Bruce Harrell. This fall, a footbridge connecting Marion Street to the new Colman Dock is expected to be completed, with the dock opening later in the year. The Overlook Walk is slated for completion by late next year.

Read more at seattletimes.com

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