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City begins Fifth Avenue community plan to reconnect East Central neighborhood divided by I‑90
Summary
City staff launched a Fifth Avenue subarea planning effort, funded with ARPA dollars and supported by technical assistance from Smart Growth America and the EPA, to address transportation, land use, housing and redevelopment of potential surplus highway lands.
An online presenter introduced the Fifth Avenue community plan overview, a subarea planning effort focused on the East Central neighborhood south of I‑90 and centered on East Fifth Avenue. Staff said the work is funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and is intended to be a focused planning exercise that supplements ongoing citywide comprehensive‑plan work.
The project is intended to be co‑designed with the community and emphasize historically marginalized voices in the corridor. Staff noted the neighbourhood has been shaped by midcentury freeway construction and that I‑90 and related infrastructure have left lasting connectivity and displacement effects. As a result, the plan will prioritize reconnection, pedestrian and bicycle access, safety, housing and economic development along the Fifth Avenue corridor.
Staff described complementary technical support: the community was selected for Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program (national cohort) and participated in an EPA pilot, Rethinking Highways for Healthy Communities, which generated workshop concepts for potential surplus highway parcels. Staff referenced a state legislative product described in the packet as “Senate Bill 58 53,” which they said directs WSDOT to identify and lease surplus highway lands for community purposes and that the law has shaped local opportunities for redevelopment of surplus right‑of‑way.
Consultant Seva Workshop leads the team, with planners, urban designers and transportation specialists on the roster. Staff said the team will begin with issue papers and more targeted engagement rather than repeating prior large‑scale visioning because the neighborhood has already produced the Fifth Avenue Community Strategy (adopted by resolution in March 2021). Staff noted local examples such as Francis Scott Elementary, where transportation hazards currently lead to busing of nearby children, as an example of safety and connectivity issues the plan will address.
Staff said they expect iterative engagement through 2025 and 2026 with a draft plan later in the year; the commission was invited to help publicize community workshops and to participate. No formal action was taken at the Feb. 12 presentation.
