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 City of Seattle plans to officially end its Civil Emergency Proclamation after October 31st. This change aligns with Washington state and Governor Inslee’s decision to end the statewide state of emergency the same date. Starting November 1st, some of the temporary systems and waivers that were implemented during the pandemic will be removed and others will be phased out over time. City departments are informing stakeholders of upcoming changes, collaborating with labor partners, and working to identify any temporary measures that should be made permanent. Examples of policies/programs impacted by this change and those not impacted, can be found here. 

• *NEW* Mayor Bruce Harrell has appointed Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz as interim Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation. Diaz will lead the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and advance Mayor Harrell’s agenda for clean, safe, accessible parks. Currently, Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz serves as the Executive Officer for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and an Assistant General Manager overseeing all day to day operations of the Department. Prior to assuming his current role, AP served as General Counsel for Recreation and Parks and has 24 years of professional experience and service to the City of Los Angeles.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) manages a 6,441-acre park system of over 489 parks and extensive natural areas in Seattle, providing welcoming and safe opportunities to play and learn. Earlier, the City Council, acting as the Parks District Board, approved a second cycle of funding advancing a budget focused on essential maintenance and restoration, reestablishing the Park Ranger program, and investments in equity, climate resilience, youth mentorship, and more. Learn more about the appointment here. 

• Beginning Monday, October 17th, 2022 the City of Seattle Special Events Office will temporarily stop accepting new Special Event permit applications for 8 weeks to conduct a review and revision of the current permit workflow. For events that take place between October 17, 2022, to January 31, 2023, Special Events permit applications must be submitted no later than Sunday, October 16, 2022. For events that take place February 1, 2023, and later, permit applications can be submitted by Sunday, October 16, 2022. Applications not received by October 16, will not be accepted until Monday, December 5, 2022, and after. The city requests applications be submitted 90 days before the proposed event date for proper review and processing.

For more information, special event organizers can reach out to the Seattle Special Events Office at specialeventsoffice@seattle.gov or call (206) 684-8017.

• Fall is here, which in turn means that Winter Weather is around the corner. As the season continues to change that foliage (turning leaves red, yellow, and brown before they ultimately fall to the ground) help keep your sidewalks clear by raking away leaves. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has a bevy of other things you can do to help yourselves and neighbors, ahead of winter weather. Just check out SDOT's blog post about prepping for winter. 

Worker and Business Resources

• *NEW* The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) is leveraging nearly $2 million in federal funding to support the economic recovery of small businesses who experienced property damage. Through the Storefront Repair Fund, small businesses can apply for $2,000 grants to help repair storefront property damages that occurred on or after January 1, 2021. Storefront Repair Fund grants will help cover costs to repair current property damage or reimburse business owners for costs paid out of pocket for past damages. Eligible property damages include broken windows, broken doors, broken locks and etching on windows. This grant will not cover loss of stolen goods or damages such as graffiti.

OED will accept applications from small businesses on a continued basis until all funding has been spent. Applications will open on October 18, 2022. Applicants are encouraged to review the eligibility, required documentation, selection process and additional information on the program's website before applying. Interested businesses can learn more about the Storefront Repair Program and apply here.

• *NEW* Comcast RISE is providing $10,000 grants to small businesses to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability. Grants will be awarded to 100 local small businesses providing $1 million additional dollars to small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, and women in King and Pierce counties.

Businesses must have established business operations for 3 or more years and have one to 25 employees. Visit here for full eligibility details and to apply. Application period is October 3rd through the 16th. Grants will be announced at the end of November 2022 and awarded in December 2022.

• The Seattle Office of Economic Development's Shop to the Beat program is back. Shop to the Beat matches small retail businesses with local musicians to host free in-store performances during peak shopping hours. The aim of the program is to help increase foot traffic and sales for retailers as well as provide competitive pay for musicians who were significantly impacted by the pandemic.

Small retail business interested in having a FREE performance at their location can participate in this program by submitting the Shop to the Beat Application to share contact information and select preferred days, times and style of music. Local musicians interested in performing at a small business this holiday season can visit the Gigs4U website to register as a musician. (Enter the following referral code: S2B). Apply for Shop to the Beat by December 1, 2022!  

Partner Efforts

• *NEW* The West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions will provide fast, reliable light rail connections to dense residential and job centers throughout the region. In addition, a new downtown Seattle light rail tunnel will provide capacity for the entire regional system to operate efficiently. These two separate Link extensions are part of the regional transit system expansion approved by voters in November 2016.

Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration published the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for public comment on January 28th, which was followed by a 90-day public comment period. After reviewing the Draft EIS and the comments from Tribes, the public and agency partners, the Sound Transit Board identified the preferred alternative for the West Seattle Link Extension and requested further study for the Ballard Link Extension. 

In the Final EIS, expected to be published in late 2023, Sound Transit will respond to comments received during the Draft EIS comment period. Following the publication of the Final EIS, the Board will select the project to be built.

What to Expect

Sound Transit's first step is to engage community early to shape the project scope and to inform the process for iterative, inclusive and meaningful engagement throughout the study period. Community feedback will shape the scope and direction of Sound Transit's study efforts and the engagement process for the next several months.

Please save the date for the first Chinatown International District station kick-off open house where you can find out the latest information and provide ideas that will shape our engagement approach and the scope of their studies over the next several months. The open house will be held on Thursday, October 13th from 4:30-7:30p at Union Station (401 S. Jackson Street)

Ways to Engage

The Alliance seeks a group of passionate and dedicated neighborhood stakeholders to participate with us in Sound Transit and City of Seattle-hosted meetings/workshops to make a better light rail project for the neighborhood, and for the region. We need you to represent Pioneer Square neighborhood interests from your point of view to Sound Transit and City of Seattle. By participating in the workshops with us, you can help Sound Transit prioritize which impacts are most harmful and need to be minimized, and help the agency understand the trade-offs related to the project design and operation. If you are interested in participating in this process, contact chris@pioneersquare.org.

• *NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square is partnering with the Seattle Metro Chamber to bring you All-Chamber After Hours, a community networking event that brings together local chambers, businesses associations and other professionals from the Seattle metro area.

Join us on November 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the beautiful Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown-Pioneer Square for appetizers, music, local art, and the opportunity to hear about what local organizations are doing in the community and learn how you can get involved. Register here to attend and use code Alliance$5OFF for $5 off your ticket (available through October 26th). Please contact Isabelle teDuits with any questions.

Other Neighborhood Updates

• *NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square is hosting an in-person Open House this on Thursday, October 27th from 3:30 to 5:30p and invites the community to pop into the Alliance's office located right at the heart of Pioneer Square. Join us to catch-up on what we've been up to and are currently working on, meet the entire Alliance staff (both old and new) and checkout our workspace. You're guaranteed to have a great time and meet other business owners, residents, and employees in our community.

Drop in anytime during the Open House and let us know here if you plan to stop by. Refreshments will be served. Questions? Contact us. We cannot wait to reconnect with all of you.

• Please join us for the Pioneer Square BIA Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 16th from 4-5:30p (to be held at The 101) as we celebrate all the successes we have achieved together this past year and look ahead to 2023. All Ratepayers in good standing are invited to meet the BIA Stakeholder Board, the Alliance board members, and Alliance staff as well as learn about new initiatives planned for the upcoming year. You will also have a chance to meet and connect with both your first floor and upper level neighbors, including welcoming some new faces! RSVP here to attend.

Additional Resources

• Save $5 with code PIONEERSQ on First Thursday Artwalk with Veo, one of Seattle's new bikeshare providers. Learn more about their class II e-bikes in Seattle here. Driving to Pioneer Square? Check out mobile-friendly DowntownSeattleParking.com for parking locations throughout the neighborhood. 

• Each Friday, we give neighborhood businesses and organizations the opportunity to share a series of photo and video content to the Alliance for Pioneer Square’s social media channels via stories, feed posts and live video updates, for the entire day. Fill out the Google Form to get started with the process or email our Marketing Manager, Thembela Mavuso at thembela@pioneersquare.org if you have any questions.

• 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 the group and connect with other neighborhood businesses. Click here to join the Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page.

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