street civility

Community Takes a Stand for Compassion

March 15 Beating of Homeless Man Sparks a Plea for Respect, Resources for City’s Most Vulnerable

SEATTLE – (March 26, 2014) – The March 15 beating of a homeless man who was sleeping on the Seattle Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Pioneer Square, has rallied a diverse cross-section of individuals and organizations who are holding a “Stand for Compassion” gathering from 5:30 – 7p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 27 near where the attack took place in Occidental Square.

The event is a call for community conversation and engagement – intended to raise broad-based awareness about the need for greater respect toward Seattle’s most vulnerable citizens, and to begin a public dialogue on how to build a culture of compassion and a safer city for everyone.

“This sort of violence against the poor and vulnerable is unacceptable,” said Real Change Executive Director Timothy Harris, who is organizing the event. “It serves as a wake-up call for all of us who value a safe and respectful community, and puts a spotlight on the need for additional resources towards our goal of providing shelter for 1,000 of the currently homeless by 2015.”

“This latest incident is yet another unfortunate example of the everyday need for additional public safety resources that our businesses, residents and visitors have been asking for,” said Alliance for Pioneer Square Executive Director Leslie Smith. “A more visible police presence serves as a deterrent to bad behavior and allows for quicker response times when needed, particularly on event days when tens of thousands flock to our neighborhood.”

Attendees at Thursday’s event will be asked to take a stand for compassion and a better Seattle by signing a pledge for continued support and participation in addressing this issue. Speakers include representatives from Alliance for Pioneer Square, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Real Change, Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Sounders FC, as well Mayor Ed Murray and Seattle City Council. Additional supporters include CenturyLink Field, Compassion Network, Coalition on Homelessness, Downtown Emergency Service Center, Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle University among others.

A Facebook page has been established for the event with additional information and public comment at https://www.facebook.com/events/685670018157683/

All of the Above: What’s Behind the Revitalization of PSQ

I’m the first to say that I’ve got the best gig in town.

People seem most intrigued by the “retail recruitment” aspect of my work for good reason. What’s not to like about being the neighborhood matchmaker? I get to connect brilliant retail and restaurant businesses with fabulous spaces in our beautiful historic district. Beat that.

It’s not about filling vacant street level spaces with whomever is ready to sign a lease. Far from it. It’s about finding those quality, intriguing, and relevant retail businesses that will make Pioneer Square an even better place to live, work, and visit. The recruitment strategy developed in 2012 with the help of community stakeholders suggested guidelines for a particular mix of restaurants, retail, and services. It also recommended leading the recruitment effort with food. 26 new storefront businesses opened in Pioneer Square in 2013, 15 of them restaurants. More are scheduled to open in this summer. Not a bad start, right?

What kinds of retail businesses are great candidates? Sometimes it’s an existing business ready to expand or try a new concept. Other times it’s a new venture that’s been the dream of someone working behind the lines for someone else. Sometimes it’s someone I’ve personally invited to take a walk around the neighborhood. Others find their way here all on their own. My goal is to generate a buzz about all that’s happening in our business district. When creative entrepreneurs are ready to “set up shop”, we want them to think about Pioneer Square. Regardless of how they get here, my job is then to help new businesses understand the vision of the neighborhood, help navigate the waters of administrative permits and approvals, connect them to whatever resources might be useful, introduce them to other businesses, and help them spread the word.

As the story of Pioneer Square’s revitalization gets more attention, I’m often asked “what was the real turning point?” Was it the restaurants? The apartments at Stadium Place? The tech companies? The King Street Station renovation? The streetcar? The waterfront? The stadiums? The ….?

Of course, you know the answer. It’s all of the above. And it takes time. Stadium Place, for example, was over ten years in the making. No one program, including the retail recruitment and business development program that fills my days, stands alone. If the Alliance for Pioneer Square hadn’t partnered with so many community stakeholders to weave a sustainable infrastructure based on a comprehensive neighborhood plan, the changes we’re buzzing about wouldn’t stand a chance.

For instance, if it hadn’t been for those long-fought battles:

The streetcar route would have ended in the Chinatown/International District.
Metered parking would still go until 8:00 PM.
After losing those hundreds of parking spaces under the viaduct, there would have been no mitigation dollars to subsidize short-term parking in four neighborhood garages to be cheaper than street parking – and fund free parking for First Thursday.
There’d be no marketing of the neighborhood. (Think maps, social media, and those awesome bus ads!)
There would be no advocate at the table to make certain our interests are represented in talks about the waterfront, street civility, transportation and public transit, parks, historic preservation, stadiums, housing, etc.

We’re not done. Not even close. We’ll continue to move things forward, welcoming all who care about the future of Pioneer Square to be part of the effort. I’ll continue to watch for cool retail to complement the anchors who have been here for decades, as well as the newest kids on the block.

I welcome all ideas and suggestions about possible retailers – or other kinds of cool uses – that you think might add to the magic of Pioneer Square. What have you seen in another neighborhood or what did you see during that trip to Florence, Prague, or Nashville that would be perfect here? I want to know. The coffee’s on me.

Oh, and be sure to sign up here to join me at the neighborhood Spring Clean on April 19.

KAREN TRUE

Director of Business Development

ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER SQUARE

Update to the Neighborhood March 2014

Staff

Delighted to announce new staff joining us this month. David Yeaworth, formerly staff to Seattle Councilmember Sally Clark will be joining us as the Deputy Director of the Alliance. His work will focus on the pedestrian realm and coordination across the various construction projects in the neighborhood. Liz Stenning will be returning to the Alliance to work on our subsidized parking program including developing strategies for managing the neighborhood parking supply. Both positions are being paid for by grant dollars. Please join me in welcoming them to the team.

Our work on street civility and public safety has picked up pace with the new administration. Two pilot projects, LEAD (law enforcement assisted diversion) and the MDT (multi-disciplinary team) will begin providing outreach and intervention (services and/or legal intervention) in Pioneer Square. These pilot projects are the result of the Center City Stakeholder process where business and human service interests working with the police and prosecutors ensured funding for all of downtown. We are developing a system for social referral from neighborhood stakeholders; we will be looking for all neighborhood members to assist with referrals.

Grants

The International Sustainability Institute received federal funding to re-surface Nord Alley. We have been partnering on a master plan in the design for alley resurfacing and there is already money to finish one alley. We also received city funding to get the medians south of King Street lit and to repair all the broken light pole panels across the neighborhood. This is in addition to the funding for curb cuts, crosswalk painting, and tree trimming that has been occurring the past few months.

Stay tuned, there will be many opportunities to become informed and involved. Thanks for your support and see you in the neighborhood.

Leslie Smith

Alliance for Pioneer Square

Executive Director