Resource Roundup: May 26th, 2021

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* Gov. Jay Inslee has announced that the state is moving toward a statewide June 30 reopening date and that all counties in Washington are in Phase 3 of the Healthy WA: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan, effective May 18 until June 30 when most public spaces will return to full capacity. The announcement comes after the governor paused phase movement for two weeks to review an emerging flattening trend in statewide COVID-19 data. As of last week, the plateau observed in COVID-19 activity has become a decline.

The full reopening date of June 30 does not mean that Washington’s state of emergency will lift. And it does not guarantee full opening if the state’s COVID-19 data worsens – specifically if the state’s ICU capacity reaches 90% at any point then there will be a rollback of activities again.

The full reopening could happen earlier than June 30 if 70% or more of Washingtonians over the age of 16 initiate vaccination. Inslee also announced that Washington will fully adopt masking guidance issued by the CDC for fully vaccinated people — meaning people who are two weeks removed from their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Read the full announcement here.

*NEW* On May 13, the CDC announced that anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small – without wearing a mask. The Governor soon followed with an announcement that Washington would fully adopt the CDC’s masking guidance, emphasizing that fully vaccinated individuals can still choose to wear a mask if desired and businesses retain the right to require customers and/or employees to wear masks.

Over the weekend, the CDC director and the Washington state Department of Health clarified that ending indoor mask mandates should be linked to local COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates, as well as vaccination coverage rates.

As a result, on Thursday, King County Health Officer Dr. Duchin issued a Local Health Officer Directive that strongly urges residents to continue wearing a face mask in indoor public settings, whether or not they are fully vaccinated. Public Health recommends that businesses who serve the public continue policies to ensure customers and employees wear masks indoors. This directive is in effect until Public Health confirms that 70% or more of adults age 16-years and older are fully vaccinated. King County is hopeful that it will achieve this goal in late June. For more information, please see Public Health’s press release and the recent Q&A with Dr. Duchin here.

*NEW* The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is set to adjustment paid parking rates on June 1st to improve access to Seattle restaurants, cafes, stores, and other businesses. Paid parking rates will remain relatively low in many locations at $1.00/hour or less. Some locations and times will have rates up to $2.50/hour. Paid parking rates in Pioneer Square will increase by up to $1/hour during the morning and afternoon depending on the parking location. Read more here.

*NEW* Mayor Durkan has announced that the City of Seattle will close all mass COVID vaccination sites, including at Lumen Field In June. Vaccination sites will continue to administer first and second doses until their final days of operation.The Seattle Fire Department will continue operating its testing and vaccination site in Sodo (3820 Sixth Ave S.), south of Lumen Field, through summer. Effective Thursday April 15, all Washingtonians over the age of 16 are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. See “How to get vaccinated” for appointment scheduling options in King County. Visit here for more information.

Worker and Business Resources

*NEW* The Seattle City Council recently voted to extend the Safe Start permits and allow cafes and other businesses to continue setting up along sidewalks and curb sides without permit fees. The free permits, first approved last summer, were set to expire later this year. Permits are available via SDOT’s Public Space Management Team and the Alliance can assist businesses with permitting. Contact Sara Pizzo, Public Realm Manager at [email protected].

*NEW* The US Small Business Administration (SBA) will launch the Community Navigator Pilot Program, a $100 million grant program enacted through the American Rescue Plan Act, which will provide counseling, networking and the assistance needed during this time of economic recovery to the nation’s smallest businesses. The program will target small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, as well as women and veterans. Competitive grant awards will range from $1 million to $5 million for a two-year performance period. Applicants have until July 12, 2021, to submit their applications at grants.gov.Find information for organizations interested in becoming Community Navigators here .

The City of Seattle's Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) has translated information about business license fee's and taxes for Seattle businesses into 7 languages: Amharic&English, English, Korean&English, SimplifiedChinese&English, Somali&English, Spanish&English, TraditionalChinese&English, Vietnamese&English.

The City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development is now offering consulting for food manufacturing and accounting services. Services are free for business < 5 employees and < 80% AMI (about $70k for a household of two).
Food manufacturing consulting will support for businesses who are looking to start or expand a packaged food business, catering operation, or operate a farmers’ market concession. For food manufacturing consulting, contact: Jennifer Tam, Restaurant Advocate.
Accounting consulting will in support small businesses as they put their financials together for all the grant apps and helping set up business accounting systems. For accounting consulting, contact AJ Cari, Business Advocate.

Recently, President Biden signed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extension Act into law extending the PPP deadline from March 31 to May 31, 2021. The bill also provides that the Small Business Administration would have until June 30, 2021 to process lender applications. Get technical assistance, find a lender, and more at SmallBizHelpWA.com. Need help with applying for PPP, SVOG, or understanding what federal resources are available to you and your small business? Contact Seattle Office of Economic Development at 206-684-8090 or [email protected]. For more information, click here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced extended deferment periods for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022. This means:
All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2020, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date of the note.
All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2021, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 18-months from the date of the note.

Find more information on the announcement here.

Reopening Resources

The Pioneer Square Business Owners & Managers Facebook group is an opportunity for business owners and retailers to participate in an online forum and share resources, support, and stories. We invite you to join group and connect with other neighborhood businesses. Click here to join the Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page.

King County is providing reopening business tools for Phase 3 guidance and requirements. The new tools include a safe work plan template, owners guide to reopening and reopening checklist. Businesses can access these resources below:
King County Safe Start: Businesses and Workplaces
City of Seattle: COVID-19 Reopening Business

The Association of Washington Businesses has created a hub where businesses can get access to PPE and other resources to assist with reopening. The site is free to use and available to all Washington businesses.

The Alliance for Pioneer Square has introduced a section on our website to help provide businesses guidance and resources for best practices as they prepare to reopen their doors to customers.

Neighborhood Advocacy

*NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square is excited to announce The Broken Window and Facade Improvement Fund, a new financial support program for businesses and properties in the district. The Broken Window and Facade Improvement Fund is intended to support Pioneer Square business and property owners who need financial assistance for projects that will improve storefronts and building facades. Through the fund, eligible business and property owners will be reimbursed for costs related to replacing broken windows and repairing or improving the appearance of building facades or storefronts.

Applications will open on June 7th, 2021 and any projects completed on or after June 7 are eligible for funding. This program was made possible by funding from Historic South Downtown. For program eligibility, frequently asked questions and how to apply when the program launches, visit the Alliance for Pioneer Square website.

The Pioneer Square BIA is excited to announce the opening of the 2021 Inspiration Fund. This year, the BIA is matching volunteer hours and/or funding up to $5,000 for community members to implement projects and programs making a positive impact in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Applications will be accepted until May 31st, 2021 at midnight. Learn more and apply here.

Join the Alliance for Pioneer Square and Pioneer Square Preservation Board for an update on the process of altering the Pioneer Square Preservation District guidelines on Thursday, May 27th from 12:00 to 1:00pm. RSVP here. Learn more about the current Pioneer Square Preservation District guidelines here.

Partner Efforts

*NEW* Visit Seattle has rolled out its I Know A Place campaign, which is designed to offer personal recommendations from locals to guide visitors and residents around Seattle to all the vibrant and safe things to do in the city. The goal is to encourage residents and visitors to shop, explore, eat, drink, and stay in Seattle. Businesses can be part of this campaign through an Industry Toolkit that includes assets, graphics, example copy, and additional resources. For questions about I Know A Place or the toolkit, please reach out to Mellie Lutz, Director, Marketing at Visit Seattle.

*NEW* Compassion Seattle is hosting a webinar on June at 12:00 PM regarding a city charter amendment that would require the city to keep parks, playgrounds, sports fields, public spaces and sidewalks and streets clear of encampments once the mandated housing, drug, and mental health services are in place. Click here to register. Registration is complimentary, but space is limited.

*NEW* Centerplate at T-Mobile Park is proud of its long-standing partnerships with local non-profit organizations. Centerplate's concession stands at T-Mobile Park are partially run by nonprofit groups. Groups can earn roughly $70,000-$200,000 (depending on the number of volunteers) for working in concession stands during the 2021 Seattle Mariners season. If you are interested and would like more information on our program, contact [email protected]. Note, all organizations applying for the Non Profit Program must be a qualified tax-exempt U.S.C. 501 (c)(3) charity. Proof of tax exempt status required.

Additional Resources

Between weekly messages please review our website, which features an in-depth series of resources intended to assist small business owners, managers, and employees impacted by the COVID-19 virus crisis, along with public health recommendations.

Please let us know how we might best support you. Feel free to contact any of us with comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Sincerely,

The Alliance Team

ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER SQUARE