Office Of The Mayor Of Seattle: Mayor Durkan Announces $7.5 Million In Direct Investment In Community To Support Neighborhood Economic R …

Investments include a minimum of $ 1.2 million in community projects and up to $ 225,000 in 28 business districts across Seattle

Investments include a minimum of $ 1.2 million in community projects and up to $ 225,000 in 28 business districts across Seattle

Seattle (Aug. 26, 2021) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) announced $ 7.5 million in direct investments to support economic recovery in the downtown area and the neighborhood. More than 28 neighborhood business district organizations are receiving up to $ 225,000 in funding to help stabilize small businesses and meet community needs. These investments, in addition to direct support for small businesses through the Small Business Stabilization Fund, will help reopen neighborhoods, build e-commerce capacity, activate public spaces, combat graffiti and vandalism, and keep community and events safe to build communities promote their neighborhoods.

“Too many of our small businesses and neighborhoods struggled during the pandemic. Since the early days of COVID-19, we’ve worked to help small business owners and community organizations keep their doors open. With funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, we can give our neighborhoods and small businesses the tools to build better, “Mayor Durkan said.” As Seattle recovers from this pandemic, we need to reactivate public spaces, restore neighborhoods, and bring our community back together. “

The Seattle Rescue Plan, launched in May, approved $ 22 million in federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act to help Seattle’s local community recover from the pandemic and COVID-related economic impact. The city prioritized funding from today’s announcement for business district organizations, community partners, and capital districts to meet the economic needs of the neighborhoods they serve. The following neighborhood business district organizations receive a direct allocation:

• Alliance for the pioneering position
• Ballard Alliance
• Beacon Business Alliance
• Belltown United
• Building Lake City together
• Capitol Hill-Broadway BIA
• Capitol Hill Business Alliance / GSBA
• Central area collaborative
• Crown Hill Village Association
• First Hill Improvement Association
• For North Seattle
• Fremont Chamber
• Georgetown Trade Association
• Green sea chamber
• Magnolia Chamber
• Mount Baker Hub Alliance
• Othello / MLK business association
• Phinney Neighborhood Association
• Rainier Beach Action Coalition / Economic Development Roundtable
• Rainier Avenue Business Coalition (Hillman City and Columbia City)
• Chinatown ID: SCIDPDA / CIDBIA / Friends of Little Saigon
• SODO BIA
• South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce
• South Park business district
• University District Partnership
• Uptown Alliance
• West Seattle Junction Association
• West Seattle Chamber

The investment includes $ 6 million for neighborhood organizations across the city – including at least $ 1.2 million raised under a new Neighborhood Economic Recovery Fund Request for Proposal (RFP) for community, arts, cultural and community Business organizations are available. This includes previously announced resources of $ 1.5 million to aid downtown revitalization and workforce recovery.

“The inequalities and inequalities we saw exacerbated by COVID were seen in the experiences of individuals and families and at the neighborhood level at large,” said Pamela Banks, interim director of OED. “In order for Seattle to have a truly inclusive economy, we need to invest significant reconstruction investments in our neighborhoods – especially those who have experienced the greatest economic, health, and social devastation – to help our communities, businesses, and residents recover and Thrive seeks to do just that by working with our organizations that are already doing this work and welcoming the new ideas of others who are ready and willing to contribute to our collective rebuilding efforts! “

A $ 1.2 million call is issued to support community, cultural or arts organizations, cultural districts, and small businesses such as: Eligible applicants can submit project proposals to RFP for neighborhood economic recovery for awards up to $ 100,000. Grants will fund remediation strategies and activities such as:

• Public and commercial space activationincluding outdoor seating, retail / point of sale markets, public art exhibitions, music events, community events, and pop-ups in commercial spaces.
• Digital equity projects, such as digital marketplaces in the neighborhood for local small businesses.
• Development of the communication infrastructure to create websites, social media platforms, and contact databases to disseminate community news and resources. They need to exchange information about local businesses and events in order to stimulate economic and social activity in a neighborhood.
• Physical improvements in neighborhoodssuch as lighting, cleaning sidewalks, murals or facades to improve the quality of the physical space in a neighborhood for the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors.
• Community security projectsincluding Business Block Watches and Community Organizing.
• Range to support businesses and connect them with additional resources such as technical assistance and partnership building between community organizations, service providers and residents.
• Other projects to stimulate the economy which are specially tailored to the needs of a particular district.

“The Neighborhood Economic Recovery Fund is a lifeline for our communities that were among the first in the country to experience the severe effects of the pandemic,” said Don Blakeney, executive director of the U District Partnership. “Vibrant and diverse neighborhoods like the U District have been particularly vulnerable, but with this important bridge investment, we’re ready to roar again when staff and students return to campus in the fall.”

In the past few weeks, Mayor Durkan signed the Equitable Community Initiative’s task force recommendations of $ 30 million and new laws that allow more flexibility in how empty storefronts can be used in the downtown area. For more information on the city’s COVID-19 recovery efforts, please visit www.seattle.gov/covidrecovery.

If you need help filling out the application, interpreting for the briefings, or if you have any questions, please contact the Seattle Office of Economic Development at oed@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8090.

This news release was prepared by the Seattle Mayor’s office. The views expressed here are your own.