City of Seattle’s Post

Mayor Bruce Harrell Signs Legislation Sending Transportation Levy to Seattle Voters Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law the legislation that will place the Transportation Levy on Seattle voters’ ballots in November 2024. The legislation was unanimously approved in a 9-0 vote by the City Council on Tuesday. If approved by voters, the eight-year $1.55 billion Transportation Levy will provide funding to enhance the city’s transportation infrastructure including building sidewalks, paving streets, repairing bridges, and improving transit connections. The levy includes investments in the safety, maintenance, and modernization needs of Seattle’s transportation infrastructure and incorporates robust community input. https://lnkd.in/g5DDk_QR

Mayor Harrell Statement on Council Passage of Office-to-Residential Legislation Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell released the following statement after legislation to support the conversion of existing commercial buildings to residential uses passed unanimously in City Council: “We must take advantage of every opportunity and tool available to create more housing options to address the issues at the root of Seattle’s affordability crisis, which impacts everyone in our city. “Building off of the innovative ideas we saw in our office-to-residential conversion competition, this legislation is an important step forward to make conversions a reality in our city, removing regulatory barriers and encouraging adaptive reuse of underutilized office spaces into new housing opportunities. By giving us the flexibility to optimize our built environment, we can replace building vacancies with vibrant communities for families and residents, especially in downtown neighborhoods. “My administration will continue to look for levers to support more affordable housing and greater housing production in the city. These efforts will build on the housing levy approved by voters last year, and include adoption of a new State law to exempt residential and mixed-use projects from SEPA review and legislation to permanently exempt affordable rental and homeownership projects from design review. “I appreciate the Council’s action on this bill as we continue to advance efforts in our Downtown Activation Plan to transform our city’s core. We know that our downtown must continue to evolve to meet the challenges of the moment and remain committed to embracing bold, forward-thinking Space Needle Thinking to make it a safe, active, and thriving place for residents, workers, and visitors alike.” More information is linked below. https://lnkd.in/d5uEsa99

City of Seattle Selects Affordable Housing Partners for Mount Baker Redevelopment The City of Seattle’s Office of Housing (OH) is pleased to announce the selection of El Centro de la Raza and Mercy Housing Northwest as the development team for affordable housing at City-owned properties at the Mount Baker Redevelopment Sites. This selection and award mark a substantial step forward in addressing housing affordability and promoting community-centered development in the Mount Baker neighborhood.  https://lnkd.in/gq6iqvgQ