Pioneer Square Business Stakeholders-

The Alliance for Pioneer Square team is working diligently to keep the Pioneer Square community informed regarding new resources and opportunities available to them. This roundup is part of a series of weekly messages capturing new resources and opportunities. Find each weekly email to date on our website.

*Please see this roundup's new resources and opportunities highlighted in RED*

What's Happening

• *NEW* The 2022 Seattle Pride Parade & March will take place on Sunday, June 26th. Pioneer Square will see little to no disruptions due to the parade and march route as only the staging area is partially located in the northeast side of the district at 4th and Washington.

Seattle Police Department (SPD) will halt thru traffic along 4th Ave to Washington St starting at approx. 8:00am on Sunday morning. On the day of the parade, you may call an emergency phone number Seattle Pride has set up to address time-sensitive issues such as street and driveway blockages, response to incidents along the parade route, or other situations requiring the attention of police, fire, medical or traffic personnel. That number is 425-465-3852.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the Pride Parade, feel free to contact Seattle Pride's exec. director, Krystal Marx or Randy Wiger from the Seattle Special Events Office.

Worker and Business Resources

• *NEW*The Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program, a tuition-free leadership training program that helps small business owners build capacity for long-term sustainable growth as well as navigate the continued economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is now open for new applicants.

This flexible, 40-hour “mini-MBA” program offers:

• Interactive, virtual seminars (August 23rd & August 25th) led by top ranked management professors
• Supplemental digital courses in Finance, Strategy, Marketing, and Leadership
• Targeted workshops & webinars delivering actionable strategies
• Peer-to-peer connections with a national network of over 5,000 small businesses
• One-on-one coaching with capital and technical experts
• Access to our Annual Conference 

ICCC is currently accepting applications, and we strongly encourage eligible business owners to apply here. The 2022 ICCC Pacific Northwest Cohort begins on Tuesday, August 23rd & Thursday, August 25th, and so apply by Friday, July 29th to be considered. Learn more about the ICCC program and submit your application here. If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to Indhira Taveras, Lead Program Coordinator or call (617) 238-3030. 

• *NEW* Interested in doing business with the City of Seattle? Do you want to learn more about how City purchasing and contracting works? Join the City of Seattle for the “First Fridays” online Doing Business webinar on Friday, August 5th, from 9 to11am, to meet Purchasing and Contracting staff who are part of the city's purchasing, consultant contracting and construction/public works teams.

During the session you will:

• Find out if the City of Seattle buys the type of product/service you offer
• Learn about City bid processes for your product/service
• See if there is a contract in place for those items, and if so, when will it be re-bid
• Find out who you should market to
• Get information about the Consultant Roster program and application process
• Learn about the City’s Public Works contracting process
• See how to access online plans and specifications for public works construction projects
• Learn about opportunities through City Job Order Contracting
• Hear about the City’s women- and minority-owned business (WMBE) resources

Vist here to attend. 

• The Seattle Seahawks have announced their 2022-2023 season which includes 11 home games at Lumen Field this season. View all home games as well as the full schedule here. 

• With the Sounders FC, OL Reign, and Mariners seasons underway, May will see plenty of foot traffic coming and going from the south end of the district. To better inform business operations on game and event days, follow this link to the Lumen Field and Event Center, WAMU Theater, and T-Mobile Park May event calendar.

• *NEW* Did you know Seattle has four scooter and bike share services?

Micromobility is a great first/last mile solution to commuting on the bus, light rail, and ferries.

Attend Commute Seattle's Bike & Scoot Demo Day at City Hall Plaza on June 29th for test rides, free helmets, and more!

• This summer will be full of exciting events happening in Pioneer Square and across downtown to encourage our residential and business communities to get reacquainted with shops, bars and restaurants in downtown. Programming will include live musical performances, games, rotating food trucks, and more. 

Visit www.loveseatown.com for the latest details on programming, artists and special appearances and click here for upcoming food truck schedules and menus in Occidental Square Park. 

• *NEW* The Alliance welcomes the newest member of our team, Jordan Habenich, to Pioneer Square. Jordan has joined the Alliance as Economic Development Director as of June 2022.

Jordan joins us following the completion of his Master of Public Administration at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance which he obtained while serving as Associate Manager at Expedia.

As Economic Development Director, Jordan is responsible for supporting existing and potential businesses within Pioneer Square through economic development strategies, business recruitment, relationship building and exploring entrepreneurial programs. Welcome to the team, Jordan!

• *NEW* Pottery Northwest's summer quarter registrations are now open for instructor-led classes. Pottery Northwest 10-week* pottery classes are open to adults of all skill levels and cover a wide range of topics including hand building, pottery wheel, and glazing techniques. Visit here to register.

• *NEW* The Klondike's Trail to Treasure tours return this summer, from July 1st to September 2nd. The one-hour Trail to Treasure guided walks will be offered at 2 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Groups will be limited to 12 people and a sign-up sheet will be available at the front desk on the day of each tour.

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

• *NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square is excited to announce the release of its annual Neighborhood Map and Guide for the year 2022-2023. The newly designed Pioneer Square Map and Guide brochure is now available in print form at various local Pioneer Square establishments and online on the Alliance website.

Want to get some copies of the new brochures for your business? Contact us today to request delivery of print guides by or emailing [email protected]. Alliance staff will also be doing distribution over the coming weeks. 

The 2022-2023 Pioneer Square Neighborhood Map and Guide is published by the Alliance for Pioneer Square, with financial support from 4Culture. 

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square is excited to announce open applications for the Façade Improvement Fund, a financial support program for businesses and properties in the district. The Façade Improvement Fund is intended to provide financial support to Pioneer Square business and property owners who embark on projects to improve the overall appearance of their building facades and storefronts.

Only properties and businesses within the Pioneer Square District boundaries will be eligible to apply. Funding awards will be capped at $5,000 and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Funds will be awarded on a first come first serve basis. The deadline to apply for funding is August 31, 2022. For program eligibility, frequently asked questions and how to apply, visit the Alliance for Pioneer Square website. If you have any questions about this program, please reach out to [email protected]. 

Funding for the Façade Improvement Fund is made possible by Historic South Downtown and the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development .

• With several larger employers bringing back their workforce to Pioneer Square, we want to give them a warm welcome! In addition to providing returning workers with information about how to engage with the neighborhood and shop local, we are seeking information on retailers’ discounts or specials for upper floor folks. Pioneer Square businesses offering neighborhood specific promotions and deals are invited to email them to [email protected]. All deals will be compiled and shared with upper floor businesses on this resource page. Visit here to learn more.