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 Seattle City Council has unanimously passed the  PayUp legislation, the first bill focused on labor standards protections for this type of app-based workers. The legislation sponsored by Lisa Herbold (District 1 – West Seattle/South Park) and Andrew J. Lewis (District 7 – Pioneer Square to Magnolia) would, among other things, make Seattle the first city in the nation to provide app-based delivery drivers a minimum wage.

For more information on the process and the legislation please visit our website here. 

• *NEW* The Say Yes! COVID Test website offers free COVID-19 tests statewide, with the federal program offering 8 free tests, and the state’s program providing 2 free COVID-19 tests per month. Businesses and Employees can stock up on free at home COVID-19 Tests here. 

• *NEW* The Pastry Project provides free baking and pastry training to individuals with barriers to education and employment in the industry. The 14-week free baking and pastry training program focuses on in-demand technical skills, time management, teamwork and problem-solving. Classes are a full day each week for 14 weeks plus one Saturday per month.

Applications for the Fall 2022 Student cohort are now open until Monday June 13th. Uniforms, curriculum materials, transit stipends, childcare stipends and lunches are all provided! 

The Pastry Project also provides assistance with resume writing and interview prep and will help with job placement and continued mentorship. Learn more and apply here.

Worker and Business Resources

• *NEW* Seattle small businesses can now apply for the Digital Sales Access Program — a partnership between the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED), Comcast, Kay Tita, Square and Quickbooks, that aims to remove digital access barriers that negatively impact small businesses. Originally launched in 2021, the Digital Sales Access Program will provide a free point of sale (POS) system that allows small businesses — particularly those operating as “cash-only” — to expand their operations to accept debit, credit and other digital forms of payment.

Applications for the Digital Sales Access Program will be accepted from June 6, 2022, through June 24, 2022.To learn more on the program’s services, eligibility requirements and apply, go to kaytita.org/dsap/program. 

• *NEW* The Responsible Hospitality Institute is hosting a free webinar on gun violence in nightlife districts on Tuesday, June 14th from 10-11a. The discussion will include:

• How gun violence is impacting nightlife districts
• What policies have been put in place to reduce weapons in venues
• Is the greater concern gun violence in the public space or social venue?
• How is the recruitment of security staff changing following a gun violence incident?

Visit here to register. 

• 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 .

• 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.

• 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* Treat your staff to soft serve at The Pastry Project this summer!  

Visit the soft serve window at the Pastry Project, located at 165 South Main Street, Fridays to Sundays from 1-8pm for soft serve cups & cones, soft serve cakes, soft serve cookie sammies and frozen take & bake cookie dough!

Purchase Swirl Card gift cards for your employees starting at $7.50 with a 10% discount when you buy 100 or more cards . Each card is good for one cup or cone of soft serve plus one topping 

• *NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square would like to extend a big THANK YOU for joining us at this year's Annual Pioneer Square Spring Clean event and the city's One Seattle Day of Service. Our community is truly grateful to you and to all the neighborhood volunteers and partners who participated, rolled up their sleeves and got to work making much needed improvements to Pioneer Square.

Thanks to the work of over 200 volunteers, we successfully picked up 56 bags of litter and an additional 8 bags of weeds from tree pits, added 36 cubic yards of mulch to the 1st Ave medians, Fortson Square and Pioneer Square Park, stenciled 100 storm drains, completed 21 walking audits, cleaned up traffic signal boxes and so much more!

What an incredible turnout and equally incredible day of taking action and making a difference in our community. Your efforts mean so much to Pioneer Square and thanks again for all you do for our neighborhood. Visit here to see more from the day. 

• *NEW* Thank you to everyone who donated to the Alliance on May 3rd and 4th during this year's GiveBIG. During the 48-hour fundraising campaign, you raised $1,170 on behalf of our neighborhood.

Your generous support is critical to our success and allows us to continue our work, making Pioneer Square the best neighborhood in Seattle. Stay tuned for our next giving event this fall. You may also donate anytime through the Alliance website.

• 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.