Seattle mayor asks public to reimagine downtown residential use

With declining foot visitors in downtown Seattle because the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle Workplace of Planning and Neighborhood Improvement (OPCD) is sponsoring a contest to get concepts from the general public on redesign the district for extra residential use.

Groups of constructing homeowners, architects, and designers are invited to submit proposals for growing residency, which can assist to deliver individuals again to downtown Seattle and produce extra foot visitors to companies.

Mayor Harrell: Downtown has made ‘unimaginable progress,’ nonetheless additional to go

A giant a part of revitalizing downtown is growing pedestrian visitors within the space, particularly from folks that had been within the space each day for work earlier than the pandemic, a lot of whom work remotely. Regardless of directives from main employers, like Google and Amazon, for staff to return to the workplace, the month-to-month employee foot visitors is at present solely 47% of what it was earlier than the pandemic, in response to the Downtown Seattle Affiliation.

For the reason that begin of the pandemic in March 2020, the DSA estimates roughly 500 street-level companies closed in opposition to roughly 300 new companies opening in downtown Seattle.

One among Harrell’s downtown objectives is to reimagine the world as a spot for professionals to dwell as an alternative of only a place to commute to work. Already about 4,000 extra residence models occupy downtown than earlier than the pandemic, with report ranges of stock and variety of occupied models.

“Our long-term plans heart downtown as a laboratory for the long run. The chances are countless,” mentioned Mayor Harrell in his ‘Name for Concepts’ portion of his State of the Metropolis speech in February.

The ‘Name for Concepts’ assembly will proceed pushing the conversion of Seattle downtown industrial workplace areas to residential use ahead, with buildings submitting plans for renovation into residential models. The most effective initiatives shall be rewarded with money prizes. OPCD will supply recognition to the highest three scoring submissions with honorariums within the following quantities. The best-scoring submittal will obtain $10,000, and the 2 second-place entries will obtain $7,500. All initiatives may even obtain a smaller honorarium primarily based on the variety of submissions and the plan’s funds.

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“We search visions for downtown that remember the intersection between residential, enterprise, and civic actions,” mentioned Rico Quirindongo, Performing Director of OPCD. “We’ll foster concepts that broaden the idea of downtown as a vibrant residential neighborhood, along with its historical past as a spot of commerce, leisure, and tourism. Collectively we will foster a vivid future for downtown residents and a neighborhood welcoming to all.”