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Council presses for more local jobs, small‑business space and a proactive economic‑development push
Summary
Council members emphasized the need for a more active economic‑development strategy to attract employers and to create neighborhood‑scale commercial space so residents can access basic goods and services without long car trips.
Council members on July 12 said Issaquah’s long‑term community goals for housing and traffic also depend on stronger local economic development: more professional and retail jobs, neighborhood corner stores and incentives to put commercial space into new mixed‑use projects.
Members argued that attracting larger employers would improve the jobs‑housing balance — “the people who live here can't work here, and the people who work here can't afford to live here,” one council member said — but also warned that major new employers can create new commuting demand and additional traffic unless coupled with careful land‑use planning.
Council members and staff discussed near‑term tools the city could use: a proactive executive‑engagement program to recruit employers, incentives or master‑lease models to reduce the risk to developers who add ground‑floor commercial space, and a neighborhood‑center strategy to encourage grocery, food and service uses within walking distance of residences.
Staff told the council they are close to naming a new economic‑development manager, and the council urged that person to prioritize “deal‑making” capacity and outreach to incubate small businesses, including underwriting or incubator models for ground‑floor retail in new mixed‑use projects.
Council members asked staff to return with a short list of implementable actions — such as a small‑business incubator pilot, changes to development incentives for ground‑floor commercial, and outreach to site selectors — to include in the fall budget or the 2026 workplan.
