Resource Roundup: September 22nd, 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* Earlier this month, Governor Inslee amended the Washington Ready emergency order (Proclamation 20-25) to require facial coverings for large outdoor events with 500 or more individuals, regardless of vaccination status. The update also aligns the proclamation with the Washington State Secretary of Health Facial Coverings Order 20-03.5.

The Washington Ready order was also mended to prohibit local government agencies, officials, and authorities and landlords from preventing or prohibiting any person or business or other entity in their jurisdictions and tenants in their properties, respectively, from imposing face covering requirements on or requiring proof of vaccination from any worker, customer, or other person. It also prohibits these same agencies and individuals from taking or threatening to take any adverse action of any kind against any person or business or other entity or tenant for imposing face covering requirements on or requiring proof of vaccination from any worker, customer, or other person. The amendments are effective immediately. Read the full proclamation here.

  • *NEW* Public Health – Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin issued a Health Order beginning October 25, 2021, requiring customers across King County to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status or a negative PCR or rapid COVID-19 test within 72 hours, for many outdoor and indoor events and establishments including outdoor events with 500 people or more, indoor entertainment and recreational events or establishments, regardless of size, restaurants and bars (including indoor dining). Learn more about the announcement here.

  • *NEW* Mayor Durkan has announced the extension of the Eviction Moratorium to January 15, 2022. The moratoriums for residential and commercial evictions are being extended through Executive Order 2021-07. The order will also modify additional COVID-related relief measures related to utility assistance. This marks the sixth extension of the eviction moratorium as part of the COVID-19 civil emergency since March 14, 2020. The executive order continues tenant protections prohibiting landlords from issuing notices of termination or otherwise initiating eviction actions with the courts unless there is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community. Learn more here. For additional questions please see the Office of Economic Development’s COVID-19 Lease Amendment Tool Kit.
Worker and Business Resources

  • *NEW* The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the following major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
  • Increasing the COVID EIDL Cap. The SBA will lift the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment, and paying debt.
  • Implementation of a Deferred Payment Period. The SBA will ensure small business owners will not have to begin COVID EIDL repayment until two years after loan origination so that they can get through the pandemic without having to worry about making ends meet.
  • Establishment of a 30-Day Exclusivity Window. To ensure main street businesses have additional time to access these funds, the SBA will implement a 30-day exclusivity window of approving and disbursing funds for loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans over $500,000 will begin after the 30-day period.
  • Expansion of Eligible Use of Funds. COVID EIDL funds will now be eligible to prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt.
  • Simplification of affiliation requirements. To ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Need help applying or ADA/language accommodations? OED provides free technical assistance to businesses applying for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, please email [email protected] or call (206) 684-8090.

  • *NEW* The Seattle Metro Chamber and King County is hosting an informational webinar for businesses tomorrow, September 23, from 2-3 p.m. The webinar will cover:
  • New health order regarding vaccination verification
  • Which businesses are impacted
  • How the order will be enforced

Representatives from King County and Public Health – Seattle & King County will be on-hand and available to answer questions. This is the first of many webinars the City, Chamber, and King County are coordinating. Find More information here.

  • *NEW* King County has allocated $20 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to support the reopening of the cultural sector, including large cultural organizations, science organizations, independently owned live music venues, and independently owned movie theatres. This funding will support cultural organizations and creative businesses that rely on mass gatherings and have been gravely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Available funding includes:
  • $16.5 million to arts, culture, and heritage organizations with a pre-COVID-19 full operating season annual budget of more than $1 million
  • $1.5 million to science organizations that promote science and nature conservation through education, exhibition, and other programs by public admission in King County
  • $1 million to independently owned and operated live music venues
  • $500,000 to independently owned and operated movie theatres

Applications are now open and will remain open until October 18, 2021 at 11:59 PM (PT). If you are unsure if your organization or business is eligible for this funding, please check here before filling out your application. Learn more and apply on the King County Creative website.

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.


Neighborhood Advocacy

  • *NEW* This past weekend, 30 volunteers, Alliance for Pioneer Square staff and a work crew from SDOT Urban Forestry participated in a neighborhood clean up event on the First Avenue South medians. Volunteers worked all morning and into the afternoon to improve landscaping in the medians. The group successfully cleared 4 truckloads of debris, put down 34 cubic yards of mulch, and planted approximately 1,600 daffodil bulbs.

A big THANK YOU to all the neighborhood volunteers for their hard work and for spending their Saturday making some much needed physical improvements to Pioneer Square. A special thank you to our city partners and the team at SDOT Urban Forestry for making this event possible. We couldn't have done it without your help closing 1st Ave, providing work supplies, tools, and a crew in support of the event.

This event would not have been the success it was and we most certainly could not have done it without the help of everyone who signed up to make it happen.

  • *NEW* Seattle’s general elections for Mayor, City Council Positions 8/9, and City Attorney will be held via mail-in ballot on Tuesday, November 2. Join us for a series of forums to hear the candidates’ positions on issues impacting Pioneer Square. Register here or view recordings of previous forums here.

This series of free candidate forums for the November general elections is open to all. Suggested questions from attendees may be submitted via the event registration page or by sending an email to [email protected].
Partner Efforts

  • *NEW* Join The Port of Seattle and partners, the Alliance for Pioneer Square and SODO BIA for a fun and informative tour on Thursday, September 23rd, aboard Argosy’s Lady Mary followed by a networking reception with appetizers and hosted beer and wine. Reservations are required. Register here for you and up to 1 guest. 

Kindly note that face masks will be required on the Argosy vessel, regardless of vaccination status, when indoors on the vessel, including during the boarding process, when ordering beverages, and using the restroom. Specific protocols will be shared with attendees before the event. For questions, please email [email protected]. 

Other Neighborhood Updates

  • *NEW* Celebrate the successes of this past year at the Pioneer Square BIA Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 17th. 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 the new initiatives for 2022. You will also have a chance to meet and connect with both your first floor and upper level neighbors! Register here to attend.

Please note, attendees will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status or a negative PCR or rapid COVID-19 test within 72 hours to gain entry. Face masks will be required at all times during the event, except while actively eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status.

Additional Resources


  • Driving to Pioneer Square? Check out mobile-friendly DowntownSeattleParking.com for parking locations throughout the neighborhood. 

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