Phase two of the “Downtown Activation Plan” from Seattle’s Mayor is just one piece to a very complex puzzle.
Mayor Bruce Harrell tried to talk to a group of protestors, determined to disrupt his remarks, but he eventually just went on to tell a bigger group of supporters about phase two of the plan, which includes an arts and entertainment district, a public sports facility, plans to call for rezoning to build more housing in taller buildings, a mercado so small businesses from people of color have an opportunity – and even adding more trees.
The plan has been sold as ‘more activity will drive away crime’ – so when Northwest Newsradio asked Mayor Harrell, he says it’s not that simple. “No, the concept is not ‘everything will go away,’” Harrell says, “You’re looking at a health crisis, and people want us to effectuate a public safety response to a health crisis, and part of our work [is] to make sure those in the health space, whether it’s the state or the county, that we’re coordinating the best we could. What you’re seeing is basically a lot of people that are just sick. They have substance abuse issues, and we don’t want a heavy-handed approach in that kind of work. So, we don’t just believe that activation will solve what you’re seeing. In our executive order on fentanyl issues, we think we’re capturing the right strategy and, quite frankly, we’re looking at our relationship with the county to see how we could improve it because, again, I’m looking at health conditions that are completely unsatisfactory.”
City Council Member, Dan Strauss, says they do have to intervene with negative behavior and add more positive behavior. Strauss says, “If you just intervene in negative behavior, and you don’t replace that space, nothing changes. If you just add positive behavior and you don’t address the negative aspects that are going on, again, you’re just creating a mixing bowl.”
Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, Rachel Smith, says her members are for it because they know the best way to recover is to “pull the lever” to generate more economic activity. “It allows more businesses to have customers,” Smith says, “It employs more people, and it, frankly, fills the Seattle city coffers as well. It generates taxes. So, doing the things to generate economic activity is a ‘win-win-win’. It’s a win for businesses, it’s a win for employees, and it’s a win for the city.” Smith says more people returning to the office helps, but she believes the plan will draw people back.
The mayor also promised that a new city ordinance to mirror the state’s new “Blake fix” drug law is coming in the next several weeks after a majority of city council members voted against the first version.
