Seattle, WA

The Top 36 Events in Seattle This Week: Aug 7–13, 2023 – EverOut Seattle

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1 year ago

August 7, 2023

Press Room

The Top 36 Events in Seattle This Week: Aug 7–13, 2023 – EverOut Seattle

LIVE MUSIC

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Freeway Park’s Brews and Tunes will have you saying TGIT (thank god it’s Tuesday) with their free, weekly concert every Tuesday in August. Bop along to tunes from PNW acts while enjoying the onsite beer garden and food trucks. This week, the series will continue this week with a set from indie rock duo Vanilla Abstract.
(Freeway Park, Downtown)

READINGS & TALKS

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I dare you not to feel a twinge of inspiration from Martha Shelley’s life story. The lesbian feminist activist, who organized the first gay protest march following the Stonewall Riot(!), also cofounded the Gay Liberation Front, which provided a voice for the newly out-and-radicalized gay communities after Stonewall. She’s also a socialist who’s been linked to pro-choice movements, the Black Panthers, the anti-Vietnam War movement, women’s liberation, and more. I could go on and on, but why not keep the inspiration juice flowing with a copy of We Set the Night on Fire: Igniting the Gay Revolution? The tome details Shelley’s upbringing as the offspring of refugees and undocumented immigrants and traces the path of her radical activism work. Show up for this talk with Shelley, too, who I’m certain will have a wealth of knowledge to share. LC
(Elliott Bay Book Company, Capitol Hill)

FILM

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This year’s outdoor movie offerings at Marymoor Park are old-school, dog-friendly, Americana FUN, complete with live music and familiar flicks beneath the barely visible stars. (We live in a light-polluted city—can’t have it all.) The much-loved summer film series will continue on August 9 with Marvel fave Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.Snuggle up, bring a picnic, or chow down on bites from the food trucks on site. LC
(Marymoor Park, Redmond)

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Secret Cinema is exactly what it sounds like—just show up and prepare to be titillated by whatever pops up on screen. Opportunities to be entirely surprised by a film don’t come along very often, so try it out as a reminder that there are still mysteries to uncover in the world. Or maybe you’ll hate it. Who knows! That’s the fun of the whole shebang. Go forth, switch off your brain, and let the enigma reveal itself. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City)

LIVE MUSIC

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On their newest album, This Is Why, Paramore embraces a rigid, post-punk sound which is a far leap from the adolescent rage of their 2007 debut, Riot! (just listen to the album’stitle track to see what I mean.) Catch the band on their first Seattle tour date in over a decade as they support the new album. But fear not, your teenage, studded belt-wearing self will still get to scream along to classics like “Misery Business,” “That’s What You Get,” and “The Only Exception,” which have all been included onrecent setlists. For anyone still needing a dose of teen angst, there will be plenty of it courtesy of the actual teenage punk band the Linda Lindas. AV
(Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown)

LIVE MUSIC

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Former Stranger managing editor Leilani Polk once wrote: “Blondie is, of course, the punk/rock/new wave ’70s/’80s-era band led by sublime cooer Debbie Harry and known for incorporating elements of pop, reggae, disco, and even a little rap (if you can call what Harry did “rap”). They originally broke up in 1982 after releasing six albums, reunited in the late ’90s, and have been enjoying repeat comebacks into the collective consciousness with each release since.” Fresh off theGlastonbury stage, the iconic group will return to Washington as a part of Tulalip Resort Casino’s summer concert series. AV
(Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip)

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Indie-folk troubadour and former Fleet Foxes drummer Father John Misty will bring his Laurel Canyon-esque tunes and cult-leader stage presence to the PNW supporting his latest release, Chloë and the Next 20th Century. The album has drawn comparisons to Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman with its heavy influence from big-band jazz and pop standards. Plus, the experimental hip-hop project Shabazz Palaces (led by Ishmael Butler of Digable Planets) will support their 2020 album The Don Of Diamond Dreams, making this a Sub Pop double feature. AV
(Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge)

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In true KEXP summertime fashion, the station has partnered with the Seattle Center to provide another enjoyable round of their free, family-friendly concerts at the Mural. This week, Canadian electro-pop artist Jessy Lanza will take the stage with the sunny, synthy bops from her new album Love Hallucination. She will be joined by the Olympia-based electronic group Daisies and KEXP DJ Troy Nelson. AV
(Mural Amphitheatre, Uptown)

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Every year, South Lake Union throws itself a free, all-ages party featuring diverse musical performances from local bands. This year, partiers will be treated to performances by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Smokey Brights, La Fonda, and more. There will also be food trucks, a beer garden, a “letterpress salon,” and booths from local community businesses and organizations. SL
(South Lake Union Discovery Center, South Lake Union)

COMEDY

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New York City-based comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy (which may or may not have been popularized by some good old-fashioned nepotism) will hit Seattle on the heels of their work as writers on Saturday Night Live’s 47th season. Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy have been endlessly compared to The Lonely Island, but their fast-paced, slightly unhinged style feels different enough from “I’m On a Boat” to stand on its own. Check out this live show and decide for yourself. LC
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

FOOD & DRINK

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You’ll find all the vehicular vittles you could wish for at this family-friendly gathering, which is returning for the first time since 2019 and is hosted in collaboration with Northwest Marketplaces. Scoop up nosh from over seven different food trucks, sip cold brews in a beer garden, and scope out handmade products from over 10 local craft vendors. JB
(Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Sand Point)

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The two-day craft beer festival Upper Left Beer Fest (formerly the Everett Craft Beer Festival) has joined forces with the Everett Food Truck Festival for Everett’s ultimate food and drink extravaganza. Choose from over 20 breweries and cideries and 24 food trucks, with everything from fried chicken sandwiches to sushi burritos to waffles on a stick. JB
(Downtown Everett)

LIVE MUSIC

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Fresh off Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Filipino British singer-songwriter Beabadoobee will turn Seattle into her very own Beatopia with her jangle-pop inspired by early 2000s pop and childhood daydreams. I hope she plays her glittery new single “the way things go,” a track that brings her noted influence from PNW legend Elliott Smith to mind with its warm acoustic guitars, wistful lyrics, and orchestral flourishes. AV
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)

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On her first album in eight years, Workin’ on a World, singer-songwriter Iris DeMent tackles religion, gun control, and the 2016 election. It takes guts to tackle such themes, which can easily come off as cringy and virtue signaling, but DeMent brings a striking level of sincerity and thoughtfulness to her songs. This is best captured in the protest anthem “Going Down To Texas”: “It’s been way too long comin’ but I want to thank The Chicks / They found out what it’s like to be a woman and defy the establishment / Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, any guy in a cowboy hat / Woulda walked away unscathed takin’ a stand like that.” AV
(Benaroya Hall, Downtown)

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Do you think Rod Stewart is sexy? Here’s your opportunity to finally let him know. The British rock icon will play tracks from throughout his prolific career, such as “Maggie May” and “Sailing,” along with some new material from his half covers/half originals album, The Tears of Hercules. Don’t miss an opening set from power-pop relics Cheap Trick. They’ve played over 5,000 shows since their formation in 1973, so this one is just another drop in the bucket. Plus, ticket prices are starting at a mere $29…Taylor Swift could never. AV
(Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown)

FILM

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Who better to advise you on what to watch this summer than Scarecrow Video, the physical media mainstay organization with a video collection that exceeds 130,000 titles?! They know what they’re talking about, people. Head to Maple Leaf Reservoir Park for their curated selection of fam-friendly screenings on Saturdays in August; Scarecrow will offer up a “rich tapestry of Asian and Asian American filmmaking,” including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, ball-kicking comedy Shaolin Soccer, Pixar red panda flick Turning Red (an absolute must-see for anyone who has ever turned spontaneously furry during puberty), and the locally shot flick The Paper Tigers. (Director Tran Quoc Bao will be present for the screening.) Moviegoers can pop up early for live music and film trivia, too. LC
(Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, Northeast Seattle)

FOOD & DRINK

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Jack Timmons will commemorate a half-decade since his smoked-meat temple Jack’s BBQ opened the way any self-respecting barbecue wizard would: by smoking an entire steer. Besides heaps of succulent Texas barbecue, Topo Chico, beer from Elysian and Bale Breaker, and Yellowstone Bourbon, the day will include such festivities as cornhole and “chicken shit bingo” (a classic Texas bar game which is exactly what it sounds like—chickens depositing their droppings on a bingo board). Plus, enjoy live music from guitarist and Jimi Hendrix tribute artist Randy Hansen, veteran rocker Andy Timmons, country singer and “Cascade cowgirl” Kitty Mae, old-school rock group Disciples of Patches, and cover band supergroup Fat Saturn. JB
(Jack’s BBQ & Steakhouse, Algona)

PERFORMANCE

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We can hear the cackling from down the street. Seattle’s premiere “internationally tolerated Jewish narcoleptic drag queen” Jinkx Monsoon will cast a campy spell and bring more of the weirdo dramatics for which she’s known and loved on the concert tour Everything at Stake, which sees the two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner flex her musical chops alongside Major Scales. They’ll perform “a decade worth of covers and original music,” pulling from Jinkx’s past albums, plus new pieces from her upcoming three-parter The Virgo Odyssey. Water off a duck’s back! LC
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)

VISUAL ART

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It’s the 21st century, which means sayonara boob generation, hello BBLs and butt-munching. It’s all about cakes, cheeks, and A-S-S. Have I made myself clear enough? We love butts now. Colby Bishop and Chloe King agree with me. The curators’ new exhibition, Cheek and Hole, examines the American ass infatuation (assfatuation?) through painting, performance, and photography by 11 local artists (including Kelly Björk, Forrest Perrine, and others), whose buoyant pieces bounce between political commentary, pop culture, and breaking the Internet. The show isn’t all ass-slapping fun and games, though—Bishop and King penned a supplementary text that anchors the exhibition’s ideas in notions of “race, the gaze, queerness, drag, representation, image saturation, performance, porn, and meme culture.” LC
(Specialist, Pioneer Square)

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The Frye’s new series Yes, And, which “invites Seattle thinkers, movers, and makers to share their perspectives on current exhibitions before jumping off to a related activity,” will continue with this exploration of Kelly Akashi’s current solo exhibition, Formations, and its unexpected commonalities with architectural concepts. Jessica Gentile, an architect at Olson Kundig, will share perspectives on Akashi’s work through an architect’s eyes; following the conversation, a neighborhood walking tour will include investigations of skyscrapers, churches, medical buildings, and more.
LC (Frye Art Museum, First Hill)

FILM

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If you want a sound introduction to the genius of Nicholas Ray, an American director who made his mark after the Second World War, then this series provides it. The first film, They Live by Night, a film noir classic, sets the tone for the other films: In a Lonely Place, On Dangerous Ground, and The Lusty Men. The last two are less well-known than the first two. Also, Ray directed Rebel With Cause, which, of course, starred American icon James Dean. (Though not in this series, it’s worth mentioning because it offers, to the uninitiated, a sense of the scale of Ray’s fame during his peak.) My favorite film of his is In a Lonely Place, which has a dash of noir and a plot that seems too dark for its time. But the film was made, and it stars Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. We will not discuss the curious marriage between Grahame and Ray. STRANGER SENIOR WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(The Beacon, Columbia City)

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Hide your boyfriends, y’all: Megan Fox will grace the screen in aughts-era cult fave Jennifer’s Body, filling her appetite for human flesh with her high school’s male population. This is no ordinary screening; presented by Three Dollar Bill Cinema as part of their ongoing OUTdoor Cinema programming, the flick comes complete with trivia and special prizes. (A lighter, perhaps?) LC
(Elsom Cellars, SoDo)

COMEDY

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You may’ve seen LA-based stand-up, actor, and writer Langston Kerman’s face before—he starred in Peacock’s Bust Down, was featured in The Boys‘ second season, and appeared on Insecure. Kerman also deep-dives into “the most exciting, groundbreaking, and sometimes problematic Black conspiracy theories” alongside fellow funnyman David Gborie on his hit podcast My Momma Told Me, which will also perform live this week. Kerman has a total of five performances scheduled at Here-After, so we’re intrigued to hear the jokes that’re putting butts in seats. LC
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, Thursday-Saturday)

COMMUNITY

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Calling all cat people! Sea-Meow Convention returns with the purrfect weekend for you, your cat, and your friend who loves cats but doesn’t have one. Shop wares for humans and cats alike from over 80 vendors, cuddle with kittens, and enjoy entertainment from The Cat Rapper and more. We’re all for the convention’s mission statement: “Help cats conquer the world, one home at a time!” Twenty percent of ticket proceeds will be donated to a local cat-related nonprofit. SL
(Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Uptown, Saturday-Sunday)

FILM

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The highly unlikely story of brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson—Fruitland, Washington’s finest (only!) musical exports—has received the deeply sensitive cinematic treatment it deserves. Directed and written by Bill Pohlad, who also helmed the memorable Brian Wilson portrait Love & Mercy, Dreamin’ Wild focuses on songwriting phenom Donnie Emerson’s struggle with thwarted artistic goals, the belated fame earned for the 1979 private-press classic LP Dreamin’ Wild, and the redemptive power of family. STRANGER CONTRIBUTOR DAVE SEGAL
(Multiple locations, Monday-Wednesday)

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You may have seen the fliers created by Fantasy A, aka Seattle’s “Autistic Undisputed King of Hustle,” plastered all over town—he’s become something of a local legend, and his music was covered by the Stranger back in 2015. The creativity continues: Fantasy’s major motion picture stars (who other than?) himself, and charts his challenges as he attempts to become a superstar and acquire a mattress. Fantasy Gets A Mattress won the Best Narrative Feature award at the Seattle Black Film Festival, and the filmmaker himself will attend these by-donation screenings. Grab a seat to witness Fantasy’s love letter to South Seattle, and you might leave feeling a lil’ more connected to your community. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Friday-Saturday)

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If you’ve seen past HUMP! lineups, you know entries to our amateur porn festival can span from silly and playful to hardcore kink. Well, this one’s for you, kinksters! For HUMP! Hardcore we’ve selected the dirtiest, most intense, and most shocking HUMP! entries from the past 18 years and starting today, you can watch them all in the comfort of your very own sex dungeon designed to look like a doctor’s office. There will be latex, there will be spit-roasting, there will be… fish? We weren’t lyin’ when we said shit gets a little kinky. STRANGER CULTURE EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Streaming, Wednesday-Sunday)

LIVE MUSIC

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In my past life working the counter of a local record store, Leon Bridges’ Coming Home and Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago unfailingly stayed on our bestseller list. Both artists have the unique ability to defy genres with their fans sprawling across demographics. For that reason, it’s a smart move to have them headline the Fisher Pavilion’s second annual Day In Day Out festival. The broad appeal persists through the lineup with beloved acts like legitimately talented nepo-baby WILLOW, post-rock quartet Explosions in the Sky, psychedelic jazz ensemble BADBADNOTGOOD, and gothic pop singer-songwriter Ethel Cain. All performances will take place on an outdoor single stage in the heart of Seattle with access to food trucks, vendors, and views of the Space Needle. AV
(Fisher Pavilion, Uptown, Saturday-Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

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Throw on your old-timey feathered caps and get thee to a nunnery—or maybe just head outdoors for Greenstage’s always-free Shakespeare in the Park, which returns for its 35th season this year. They’ll offer up productions of the Bard’s familiar tragedy Romeo and Juliet and historical drama Henry VI Part One, plus a rotating “Backyard Bard” series of one-hour shows, including forbidden love folktale Cymbeline, at parks across Seattle. The season ends on August 12, so peep their calendar for exact times and locations of their performances. LC
(Various locations, Thursday–Saturday)

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Go ahead, smush comedy, burlesque, drag, and summer camp all together like the world’s most chaotic s’more. What could go wrong? Written and directed by Latinx producer Willy Nilly, Summer Camp Slasher follows the renegade campers at Miss Christina’s Camp Doo-Wah, who begin to disappear in between zipline mishaps, romance, and bug bites. “Is everyone too dumb for their own good?” the promotional copy asks. Frankly, I’m delighted to find out. LC
(Theatre Off Jackson, Chinatown-International District, Thursday-Saturday)

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A certain doomed romance flick is parodied in this unsinkable musical comedy, which comes complete with original music and fast-paced action that’s more hilarious than tragic. Titanish will crash on stage again after winning the 2022 Broadway World Critic’s Choice Award for best new musical; the escapist spoof “has songs and satire on deck,” according to Crosscut. (Jokes about the Titanic are either too soon or arriving just on time, depending on your thoughts about June’s submersible implosion—either way, the production feels eerily timed.) LC
(Seattle Public Theater, Green Lake, Thursday-Sunday)

SPORTS & RECREATION

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Félix Hernández recently kicked off MLB All-Star Week by raising a celebratory flag on top of the Space Needle. He then proceeded to crush it during the Celebrity Softball Game alongside other former Mariners Bret Boone and Mike Cameron. Affectionately known as “King Félix,” the Mariners legend will be inducted as the 11th member of the Mariners Hall of Fame with a weekend of festivities. Get tickets to see the Mariners play the Baltimore Orioles over three nights with a postgame fireworks show on Friday, “Supreme Court” shirt giveaway Saturday, and a bobblehead giveaway on Sunday. Tickets to Saturday’s game will also get you access to see the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony before the game. If it’s anything like Ichiro’s last year, there will be Mariners icons, lots of mems, laughs, and a few tears for good measure. Long live King Félix! SL
(T-Mobile Park, SoDo, Friday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

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Calling all puppet lovers! Hidden Worlds: The Films of LAIKA will invite visitors to peek behind the scenes of screen faves like Coraline, The Boxtrolls, and the forthcoming Wildwood created by Oregon stop-motion animation studio LAIKA. The exhibition will grant “unprecedented access” to the studio’s advanced production techniques, complete with puppets, set displays, and sneak peeks.
(MoPOP, Uptown, Monday-Sunday; closed Wednesday)

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Rodrigo Valenzuela’s exhibit, The New Land, marks the first anniversary of Mini Mart City Park, a gallery and community center founded by John Sutton, Ben Beres, and Zac Culler. Valenzuela, an artist who first made his mark in Seattle a decade ago, is presently based in Los Angeles. His short films, sculptures, and photographs are always brutally honest but never without their music or poetry. In The New Land, a series of medium- and large-sized photographs examine the human history of a landscape. But no humans are in these images, only the ghosts and their forgotten stories. STRANGER SENIOR WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(Mini Mart City Park, Georgetown, Monday-Sunday)

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Contemporary art lovers, don’t sleep on this one. Exploring the boundaries between the body and its environment, Strange Weather: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundationfeatures works spanning the last five decades by art mega-stars like Kehinde Wiley, Kiki Smith, Wendy Red Star, and Alison Saar. With an eye toward the climate crisis, the exhibition is a rare opportunity to see how some of the country’s most influential artists are thinking critically about ecological issues and humanity’s place on the planet.
(Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, Wednesday–Sunday)

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A lot goes on behind museum doors, and in this exhibition of pieces from the Henry’s permanent collection, the often-invisible process of assessing, cataloging, and photographing artworks will be in full view. Featuring works by Nan Goldin, Los Carpinteros, Vik Muniz, Kiki Smith, and other heavy hitters, Taking Care: Collection Support Studio will allow visitors to see pieces “removed from the wall one by one” for assessment by the museum’s collection team as they work to improve their records.
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, Thursday–Sunday)

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Seattle, WA

Report: Cowboys request interview with Seattle assistant Leslie Frazier

Published

3 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Report: Cowboys request interview with Seattle assistant Leslie Frazier

The Cowboys have requested an interview with Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.

They have an interview scheduled with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh for later this week, per Archer.

If both interviews are in person, that would satisfy the Rooney Rule and allow the Cowboys to make a hire at any point thereafter.

Frazier was the head coach of the Vikings from 2011-13 after taking over as interim coach for the final six games of 2010. He went 21-32-1. This is his first interview request in this hiring cycle.

Frazier, who began his NFL coaching career in 1999, was the Bucs’ defensive coordinator (2014-15), the Ravens’ secondary coach (2016) and the Bills’ defensive coordinator (2017-22) after his stint with the Vikings. He was out of the league in 2023 before Mike Macdonald hired him in Seattle before this season.

Jerry Jones’ eight previous hires for the Cowboys have been either former head coaches and/or have a tie with Jones. Frazier and Saleh both have previous head coaching experience.

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Seattle, WA

Sara Nelson Restarts the Debate About Allowing More Housing in SoDo – The Urbanist

Published

11 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Sara Nelson Restarts the Debate About Allowing More Housing in SoDo – The Urbanist

The idea of encouraging more residential development around Seattle’s stadiums had been put on ice in 2023 with the adoption of a citywide maritime and industrial strategy. Nelson’s bill reignites that debate. (King County Metro)

A bill introduced by Seattle Council President Sara Nelson this week is set to reignite a debate over allowing housing on Seattle’s industrial lands and the future of the SoDo neighborhood. The industrial zone in question is immediately west and south of T-Mobile and Lumen stadiums, abutting the Port of Seattle. That debate had been seemingly put to rest with the adoption of a citywide maritime and industrial strategy in 2023 that didn’t add housing in industrial SoDo, following years of debate over the long-term future of Seattle’s industrial areas. This bill is likely going to divide advocates into familiar old camps during a critical year of much bigger citywide housing discussions.

The idea of allowing residential uses around the south downtown stadiums, creating a “Maker’s District” with capacity for around 1,000 new homes, was considered by the City in its original analysis of the environmental impact of changes to its industrial zones in 2022. But including zoning changes needed to permit residential uses within the “stadium transition overlay district,” centered around First Avenue S and Occidental Avenue S, was poised to disrupt the coalition of groups supporting the broader package.

Strongly opposed to the idea is the Port of Seattle, concerned about direct impacts of more development close to its container terminals, but also about encroachment of residential development onto industrial lands more broadly.

The makers district is envisioned as a neighborhood of small semi-industrial uses with residential development above, a type of land use that Seattle has envisioned on paper, but which hasn’t really materialized in reality. (*Collinswoerman)*

While the zoning change didn’t move forward then, the constituency in favor of it — advocates for the sport stadiums themselves, South Downtown neighborhood groups, and the building trades — haven’t given up on the idea, and seem to have found in Sara Nelson their champion, as the citywide councilmember heads toward a re-election fight.

“There’s an exciting opportunity to create a mixed-use district around the public stadiums, T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field, that prioritizes the development of light industrial “Makers’ Spaces” (think breweries and artisans), one that eases the transition between neighborhoods like Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District and the industrial areas to the south,” read a letter sent Monday signed by groups with ties to the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks, labor unions including SEIU and IBEW, and housing providers including Plymouth Housing and the Chief Seattle Club. And while Nelson only announced that she was introducing this bill this week, a draft of that letter had been circulating for at least a month, according to meeting materials from T-Mobile Park’s public stadium district.

The area in question targeted by Nelson’s bill is largely focused around Occidental Avenue and First Avenue S, a major truck street. (City of Seattle)

Under city code, 50% of residential units built in Urban Industrial zones — which includes this stadium overlay — have to be maintained as affordable for households making a range of incomes from 60% to 90% of the city’s area median income (AMI) for a minimum of 75 years, depending on the number of bedrooms in each unit. And units are required to have additonal soundproofing and air filtration systems to deal with added noise and pollution of industrial areas.

But unlike in other Urban Industrial (UI) zones, under Nelson’s bill, housing within the stadium transition overlay won’t have to be at least 200 feet from a major truck street, which includes Alaskan Way S, First Avenue S, and Fourth Avenue S. Those streets are some of the most dangerous roadways in the city, and business and freight advocates have fought against redesigning them when the City has proposed doing so in the past.

The timing of the bill’s introduction now is notable, given the fact that the council’s Land Use Committee currently has no chair, after District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales resigned earlier this month, and the council has just started to ramp up work on reviewing Mayor Bruce Harrell’s final growth strategy and housing plan. Nelson’s own Governance, Accountability, and Economic Development Committee is set to review the bill, giving her full control over her own bill’s trajectory, with Councilmembers Strauss and Rinck — the council’s left flank — left out of initial deliberations since they’re not on Nelson’s committee.

As Nelson brought up the bill in the last five minutes of Monday’s Council Briefing, D6 Councilmember Dan Strauss expressed surprise that this was being introduced and directed to Nelson’s own committee. Strauss, as previous chair of the Land Use Committee, shepherded a lot of the work around the maritime strategy forward, and seemed stunned that this was being proposed without a broader discussion.

“Did I hear you say that we’re going to be taking up the industrial and maritime lands discussion in your committee? There is a lot of work left to do around the stadium district, including the Coast Guard [base],” Strauss said. “I’m quite troubled to hear that we’re taking a one-off approach when there was a real comprehensive plan set up last year and to be kind of caught off guard here on the dais like this, without a desire to have additional discussion.”

On Tuesday, Strauss made a motion to instead send the bill to the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan, chaired by D3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. After a long discussion of the merits of keeping the bill in Nelson’s committee, the motion was shot down 5-3, with Councilmembers Kettle and Rinck joining Strauss. During public comment, members of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters specifically asked for the bill to say in Nelson’s committee, a highly unusual move.

Nelson framed her bill Tuesday as being focused on economic development, intended to create more spaces that will allow small industrial-oriented businesses in the city. Nothing prevents those spaces being built now — commercial uses are allowed in the stadium overlay — but Nelson argued that they’ll only come to fruition if builders are allowed to construct housing above that ground-floor retail.

“What is motivating me is the fact that small light industrial businesses need more space in Seattle,” Nelson said. “Two to three makers businesses are leaving Seattle every month or so, simply because commercial spaces are very expensive, and there are some use restrictions for certain businesses. And when we talk about makers businesses, I’m talking about anything from a coffee roaster to a robot manufacturer, places where things are made and sold, and those spaces are hard to find. […] The construction of those businesses is really only feasible if there is something on top, because nobody is going to go out and build a small affordable commercial space for that kind of use”

Opposition from the Port of Seattle doesn’t seem to have let up since 2023.

“Weakening local zoning protections could not come at a worse time for maritime industrial businesses,” Port of Seattle CEO Steve Metruck wrote in a letter to the Seattle Council late last week. “Surrendering maritime industrial zoned land in favor of non-compatible uses like housing invokes a zero-sum game of displacing permanent job centers without creating new ones. Infringing non-compatible uses into maritime industrial lands pushes industry to sprawl outward, making our region more congested, less sustainable, and less globally competitive.”

SoDo is a liquefaction zone constructed on fill over former tideflats and is close to state highways and Port facilities, but not particularly close to amenities like grocery stores and parks. The issue of creating more housing in such a location will likely be a contentious one within Seattle’s housing advocacy world.

Nelson’s move may serve to draw focus away from the larger Comprehensive Plan discussion, a debate about the city’s long-term trajectory on housing. Whether this discussion does ultimately distract from and hinder the push to rezone Seattle’s amenity-rich neighborhoods — places like Montlake, Madrona, and Green Lake — to accommodate more housing remains to be seen.

Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including Capitol Hill Seattle, BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.

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Seattle, WA

Critics say SPS capital levy will result in 'mega schools' and school closures

Published

19 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Critics say SPS capital levy will result in 'mega schools' and school closures

Meeting on Seattle Public Schools levies ahead of election

This February, when voters head to the polls, they’ll be deciding on replacing two Seattle Public Schools levies that are expiring this year.

SEATTLE – When voters send back their ballots in February, they’ll be deciding on replacing two Seattle Public Schools levies that are expiring in 2025.

The district relies on local voter-approved levies like those to help pay for operations and to fund building construction and repairs.

What they’re saying:

While the year’s operation’s levy hasn’t had much pushback, critics say the capital levy is causing controversy, including concerns it will lead to school closures.

Some of those affiliated with the Save our Schools group say the capital levy is also prompting concerns that it will lead to “mega schools.”

“Seattle Public Schools has 106 schools. We have facility needs we are going to place before the voters,” said Richard Best, Executive Director of Capital Projects, Planning and Facilities of Seattle Public Schools.

School officials say there could be serious consequences for students if two propositions fail to pass February 11.

“That would be, I won’t say catastrophic, but there will be declining systems that could have consequential implications in that, when we do implement that system repair, it costs more,” said Best.

The operations levy would provide schools with $747 million, replacing the last EP&O levy approved in 2022.

It wouldn’t reduce the deficit, but would continue a current funding source, for things like salaries, school security, special education and multilingual support staff.

This was a breakdown that SPS provided of the operations levy online:

Operations Levy Details 2026-2028

Proposed Levy Amount: $747 million
Levy Collected: 2026–2028
Replaces: Expiring EP&O Levy approved in 2022
Current tax rate is 63 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The second proposition, the $1.8 billion Building Excellence Capital Levy, would provide money for building projects and technology.

This was a breakdown of that proposition by SPS:

Building Excellence VI Capital Levy Details

Proposed Amount: $1.8 billion
Capital Projects Funding: $1,385,022,403
Technology Funding: $$414,977,597
Estimated Levy Rates: 93 cents to 79 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value
Levy Collected: 2026-2031

A parent who didn’t want to share his name for privacy reasons told us he was concerned about the school closure plan that was scrapped last year, and wondered if the situation was “sustainable.”

Critic Chris Jackins belies the capital levy, as written, could result in the closure of schools.

“This is a continuation of an effort to close more schools,” said Jackins.

He wrote the statement in the voter pamphlet arguing against proposition 2. He says it would allow the construction of “mega schools,” which will in turn be used to then close more schools.

“On the capital levy, they have two projects which will create two more mega-sized schools, they are both scheduled at 650 students. They both cost more each, more than $148 million,” he said. “They are continuing their construction to add even more elementary school capacity when they say they have too much. It doesn’t make sense.”

The district’s website reads that major renovations and replacement projects would include replacement of at least one elementary school in northeast Seattle.

“The two schools they are talking about, one they didn’t name, so nobody knows, and one is Lowell, which is an existing school, but they are planning to destroy most of it and make it much larger,” Jackins said.

“I have worked designing schools since 1991 and since that period, I have never designed a school smaller than 500 students,” said Best. “We use a model for 500 students, which is three classrooms per grade level.”

Best explained further.

“The term is not ‘mega schools.’ We design schools to be schools within schools. You have a first-grade cohort, maybe 75 or 100 students. They stay together. Middle schools are 1,000 students. Those are very common throughout the state of Washington.”

Best says school closures aren’t on the table right now, but may be revisited at some point.

“We are going to engage in the conversation about schools, school capacity, looking at elementary schools, our focus right now is getting these two levies passed,” he said.

Meantime, Jackins is asking people to vote down the capital levy, and then to ask that it be resubmitted in a form that uses the funds to fix up existing schools in order to keep them open.

The ballots are expected to go out to voters around January 22. The election is set for February 11.

The Source: Information from this story is from Seattle Public Schools officials and the Save our Schools group.

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