[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5971995,"mediaKeyId","5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052","parentId",5869938,"title","Economic Development proposes SAIL initiative, storefront security funding and grocery supports in 2026 budget","audioSeconds",816,"startMs",9973000,"endMs",10789000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052&start=9973&end=10789","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052/thumbnail_9973000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5971995/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Economic-Development-proposes-SAIL-initiative-storefront-security-funding-and-grocery-supports-in-2026-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5971995-6c8901eaf9f513dd144dd0ba0b132276/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182437&Signature=l5t1Jax~24buHWrThhPUMaPNZW~iH8WU5N5Bs0aCX0MpuWrRzGnxMLiLmlTApJr1358-PeRWX3VcsyzVVSx3f9mwtrFu1QKRgFmK0NQTyMWdSYUPGdxvtEI8-72-l138sC1RiXhLzkufpBDzGlNyO2W6fsxmHL6~R3ll50AZHt38cu~hzaJBi3uP11QYQmSRMYJFVVsREDPIsgbw8MD-xIbTTckI-M0HTJAsbG6TAcySsqaw7MUR2-2xUeMo5rbPzpNM8gnA4TDPzFXSTgyl0brXOaQwuKWoMP-TFMYN9b1G3eq1baaJdUihiA8pYLmrx1QFAujlpfYIyH4nQr942A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seattle City, WA","date","2025-09-30T23:17:20Z","article","The Office of Economic Development (OED) briefed the Select Budget Committee on a 2026 proposal that would add targeted investments for neighborhood stabilization, proactive storefront security, grocery‑store support and sector‑focused work on artificial intelligence and clean energy.

Director Martin McIntyre told councilmembers the SAIL initiative — for “Stabilize, Activate, Invest Locally” — starts from the premise that neighborhoods must be stabilized before activation and longer‑term private investment will follow. “First, we must stabilize an area before we can activate it,” McIntyre said. The department proposed $4,000,000 for SAIL, to be used initially in Little Saigon and then expanded to other neighborhoods, with Lake City identified as an early second focus.

McIntyre described SAIL as an effort to align several previously parallel programs — including downtown activation teams and related efforts — under shared, measurable outcomes so city departments can coordinate resources and avoid duplication. OED said implementation will proceed on a hypothesis/test basis and must show measurable stabilization before activation investments proceed.

OED also wants to rebrand and expand the storefront‑repair program as “Back to Business,” keeping the current reimbursable storefront repair fund (up to $3,000 per incident) while adding a proactive security fund and a neighborhood business improvement fund to support Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) interventions and other district‑level improvements. The office said the program launched in July and that 85 businesses have used the fund; the proposed budget would continue and broaden that support.

Committee members asked about grocery stores; OED proposed a dedicated fund to make short‑term security and other investments that keep neighborhood grocers operating and to explore how the city can reduce long‑term operating barriers for food retailers. McIntyre said federal funding comprises only a small share of OED’s budget, but the department is monitoring federal continuity‑of‑care and HUD funding because reductions can ripple to local providers.

The department proposed continued support for the waterfront shuttle and one‑time support for Uplift Northwest’s community workforce training center, and it asked for work to better align citywide workforce investments toward internal city jobs, standardized evaluation and youth employment coordination.

OED also highlighted investments in AI and clean‑energy sectors, noting Seattle’s existing technical talent and research ecosystems. The department plans an updated economic strategy and a program of partnerships to support startups and scale‑ups, citing the existing AI House and incubator work and partnerships with UW CoMotion.

Committee members asked about implementation, community engagement and metrics; OED said it will work closely with community organizations, BIAs and other city departments to define measures of stabilization and activation and to sequence investments appropriately. No formal votes were taken during the presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Select Budget Committee Session I 9/30/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Office of Economic Development proposed a $4 million SAIL (Stabilize‑Activate‑Invest‑Locally) initiative for Little Saigon and Lake City, expanded storefront security grants and a new grocery‑store support fund in its 2026 budget briefing to the Select Budget Committee.","taxTitle","Seattle, King County, Washington","taxId",2543,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5971999,"Seattle Center seeks funding for campus repairs, waterfront operations and safety ahead of major events",861,6673000,7534000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052&start=6673&end=7534","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052/thumbnail_6673000.jpg","/articles/5971999/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Seattle-Center-seeks-funding-for-campus-repairs-waterfront-operations-and-safety-ahead-of-major-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5971999-9d46a8864ac190199014f6cee6ad1929/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182437&Signature=ma0As9jtr6JJmStg0YVwIGn-YXwJJYK9k3rNYoMMetHFbhsV9bCZPJ9bQcaREtRJjKh4xnbBumdCOYhDTLnJv4sjtamBpTqJGyuum1L-faiRrQM3vAZvedYad4leKt~EaZLNAlrwYZUhZSN63ozr0scaY~2RuuPjLtcLc-iMvF2zSl-0Ifcfz-tdjome3iWxPMhxNxIVOVDTdn4hmm9MJ5CiGBI8YVHke-i2hs5gDQs5YUvmfpKqyPUmVJrj7-c27Z-jv1Mh1oTLOGsL-A~28DqyNn9UgiaVzuPd8dWpHZmPs~MhsTwOEc9Y6e7ZFzD-D1wsrvE7mFVwKj3f~UxYHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Seattle Center Director Marshall Foster told the Select Budget Committee the department’s 2026 proposed budget prioritizes safety, partnership expansion and reinvestment in the campus and waterfront, citing a return to pre‑pandemic attendance and the need to maintain aging systems. “Our mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that inspire the human spirit and build strong communities,” Foster said during the briefing.

The department said it is largely self‑funded: about 70% of its operating expenses are covered by earned revenue from parking, facility and event fees, long‑term leases, concessions and monorail concession payments. Dematrice Winston, deputy director and director of finance and administration for Seattle Center, told the committee the department expects roughly $17.5 million in general fund support in 2026 and about $41 million in other funds, the majority earned on campus.

Seattle Center asked for one‑time investments to maintain public safety and avoid operating failures. The presentation listed a pedestrian safety barrier investment to separate people and vehicles during large events and daily activity, and a replacement of fiber optics for a failing fire‑alarm system after an earlier failure increased operating costs. The department said those investments are safety‑driven rather than discretionary.

Committee members focused on the waterfront, which Seattle Center began managing in mid‑2023. The department described a partnership model in which Seattle Center provides day‑to‑day maintenance and public‑safety staffing while Friends of Waterfront Park and other non‑profits support programming. Seattle Center said the waterfront operations have completed regular inspections and hundreds of maintenance work orders and that its emergency services unit has completed tens of thousands of public‑facing interactions, most of them non‑enforcement help for visitors.

The department proposed $1.65 million in one‑time waterfront spending from 2024 carry‑forward and advanced funding for continued waterfront operations through the Metropolitan Park District allocation and a six‑year agreement with Friends of Waterfront Park. The budget package also advances funds to acquire and improve the historic Backend Building at the foot of Pike Street to create a waterfront operations and tribal heritage center in partnership with the Muckleshoot Tribe; Foster said construction would start after next year’s FIFA World Cup fan events.

Members asked about the monorail. Foster said the monorail — owned by Seattle Center and operated under concession by Seattle Monorail Services — runs without a general fund subsidy and returns a negotiated concession payment to the department; that payment is used to fund free public programming such as festivals. He said the department monitors the monorail operator’s capital maintenance program and is working with the operator to secure and fabricate replacement parts that are no longer manufactured.

Committee members also requested more detail on capital reinvestment needs across the 74‑acre campus, including Memorial Stadium redevelopment and deferred maintenance challenges that have caused intermittent power and system outages. Foster said the department is preparing a 10‑year strategic plan that will address revenue diversification, partner support and physical reinvestment in the campus. No formal votes were taken during the briefing.

Seattle Center said it will return to committee with additional detail on capital reinvestment needs and a strategic plan for the campus and waterfront; staff also said they will coordinate with SDOT, Parks, and other city departments on public safety and operations matters.","Seattle Center briefed the Select Budget Committee on a proposed 2026 budget that shifts maintenance costs onto earned revenue funds, funds pedestrian safety barriers and fire‑system repairs, and continues waterfront operations and a tribal heritage/operations center at the Pike Street site.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5972005,"Seattle proposes record $349.5 million housing package; officials outline pipeline, Fort Lawton and Lake City timelines",6420,252000,6672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052&start=252&end=6672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5869938-bce3f7a20efe144ac20c1cb203a28052/thumbnail_252000.jpg","/articles/5972005/Seattle/King-County/Washington/Seattle-proposes-record-3495-million-housing-package-officials-outline-pipeline-Fort-Lawton-and-Lake-City-timelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5972005-7eed2f3c8630f7acdbbed32ae6536de0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182437&Signature=Kj7u2r6-6y1TYldfJxupY0Sgg72Qg-mGwDUNPkiC01b7JZiaq~DBYOU1N~x5uHIbHeNMJjgaWtZoSdZjZMHNUEVDatsj7LDRBzKsHtEVxo-QO1h6YIge8JWuWeEScGDuJxpFwMOsQCoyFhlWTz~DTCsHL8zOAGNCtTyF-035w3WFLIz6axWfqETw8KCmMu-S8-sBF8QiKqkB9zf4-c9SqrVicRQ458UcEhYt9DgGnVuNTUGdTV0o5bJnal1nrW3X09PKoRqoLlOVbxQcoBsbgpubYNSOkLxsWup4di~UmgqVgzkfwLZRCBlFS-08m5xij9XrwpSLkC71HWTYYc8Ozg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Seattle Office of Housing presented the Select Budget Committee with a proposed 2026 budget that would invest roughly $349,500,000 in affordable housing and expand the city’s role in an active pipeline of projects across the city. Michael Winkler‑Chin, director of the Seattle Office of Housing, told the committee the mayor’s proposed package includes $344,500,000 in the Office of Housing’s budget plus a separate $5,000,000 payroll expense tax allocation moved into Finance General for the Northgate Commons project.

The budget matters because it funds projects at varying stages of a long development cycle that the office says can span several years from award to final closeout. Winkler‑Chin told the committee, “The city is making record investments in affordable housing,” and described a process in which awards, legal obligation and construction often occur over multiple mayoral or council terms.

Office of Housing officials used a new slide to show the life cycle of projects from NOFA (notice of funding availability) through design, construction, lease‑up and final mortgage conversion. They emphasized that awards do not mean immediate spending and that many projects take three to six years or longer to move from award to drawdown of city funds. The office said there are projects with awards that could create more than 1,000 new rental homes and 143 permanently affordable for‑sale homes, and other projects already encumbered that will deliver more than 3,700 rental apartments and roughly 300 permanently affordable for‑sale homes.

Committee members asked for specifics on a handful of high‑profile projects. On Lake City Community Center redevelopment, the office said it is coordinating with Seattle Parks and King County and will provide a detailed legislative and schedule plan in the coming month or two aimed at closing by late 2026 so construction can begin as soon as possible. On Fort Lawton, Winkler‑Chin said the project is in the environmental impact statement process and that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has accepted the city’s supportive‑housing component, allowing other project pieces to move forward. He said Habitat for Humanity would pursue permanently affordable homeownership (up to about 200 units under current zoning), Catholic Housing Services would provide multifamily rental (up to about 200 units), and Chief Seattle Club was selected to provide up to about 100 units of supportive housing.

Council members also pressed for details about Northgate Commons; staff said moving $5,000,000 into Finance General would allow a direct intergovernmental transaction with the Seattle Housing Authority and is intended as a final commitment to make financing work, but that exact construction timing must be provided by the housing authority.

Committee discussion repeatedly returned to two cross‑cutting operational themes: (1) the long, overlapping timing of development awards and drawdowns, and (2) operating and staffing pressures on affordable‑housing providers. The office described past one‑time stabilization investments and an ongoing escalator built into operating grants; it also said capital costs have risen sharply since the levy modeling — construction costs are about 15% higher than modeled, and higher interest rates and lower tax‑credit pricing have increased the resources needed to meet levy goals.

On neighborhood engagement and building operations, the office said community notification and outreach are required in funding applications and that providers are expected to maintain good‑neighbor communication during construction and operation. Kelly Larson, director of policy and planning at the Office of Housing, said the department “reviews those plans and make[s] sure that the planning does include community notification and partners are required to keep people informed through the development process.” Committee members pressed for stronger, contract‑level expectations and resources for ongoing resident services, safety, and vacancy reporting; the office said it has prioritized vacancy reporting among the largest providers but that smaller providers lack capacity to update real‑time data systems.

The office also summarized program details: multifamily rental financing remains the largest portion of the budget and includes long‑term loans monitored for asset health for the life of the city’s contracts; homeownership and home repair programs continue; and staff and administration pay for program management such as MHA and MFTE. The office noted a technical change that would shift $5,000,000 of payroll expense tax into Finance General to facilitate the Northgate Commons intergovernmental transaction; officials said all other 2026 proposed changes were primarily technical.

Committee members asked for follow‑up materials, including (1) a public dashboard or easier access to the cash‑balance/project‑stage data the office already maintains, (2) an updated timeline for Lake City Community Center and Fort Lawton permitting steps and legislative path, and (3) details on timing for the SHA Northgate Commons project. Office staff said they expect a new, improved project dashboard by April 2026 and committed to returning with the requested schedules and timing details. The office also noted planning underway with the Office of Civil Rights and OPCD around the city’s Reparations Housing Fund work and said that the current proposals represent an intentional focus rather than an entirely new stream of funding.

The committee did not take any formal votes on housing legislation during the presentation. Members repeatedly emphasized the importance of transparency about where projects are in the multi‑year development cycle and of additional support for operators’ staffing and resident services as capital investments come online.

Looking ahead, the office said it will continue to balance new production with preservation and stabilization funding for existing assets, and that achieving levy unit production goals now requires higher payroll expense tax resources and adjustments for rising construction and financing costs. The Office of Housing pledged to return to the council with more detailed schedules and a public reporting plan for the city’s funded pipeline.","The Select Budget Committee heard the Seattle Office of Housing present a proposed 2026 budget that includes roughly $349.5 million for affordable housing, a new explanation of multi‑year project stages, and updates on Fort Lawton, Lake City Community Center and Northgate Commons funding shifts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Economic Development proposes SAIL initiative, storefront security funding and grocery supports in 2026 budget

Seattle Center seeks funding for campus repairs, waterfront operations and safety ahead of major events

Seattle proposes record $349.5 million housing package; officials outline pipeline, Fort Lawton and Lake City timelines