Mayor's South Lake Union agenda delivers
jobs and housing for thousands of residents

"We are attracting thousands of jobs, creating new housing and laying the foundation for even greater opportunities in the future." -- Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels News releases: Seattle Streetcar: Half million riders and counting... New Jobs and Housing Booming in South Lake Union Mayor Nickels launches South Lake Union Action Agenda Links: Lake Union Park Archive: South Lake Union agenda launched

Within walking distance of downtown Seattle and sitting on its own urban waterfront, the South Lake Union neighborhood seems a natural place for people to live and work.

Since the 1960s however, the area has often been ignored and viewed simply as a place to drive through on the way to somewhere else. In March of 2003, Mayor Greg Nickels launched his South Lake Union Action Agenda promising thousands of new jobs, a biotech hub, better transportation and new neighborhood amenities including open space.

"There has never been a better time to seize the moment in South Lake Union," Nickels said as he launched the initiative in 2003. Since then, South Lake Union has undergone a remarkable transformation.

New employers, new opportunities: With the projects built or already under construction, an estimated 9,000 jobs will be created, with an additional 13,000 expected within the next couple years. In just the past five years, more than 2.7 million square feet of new office and biotech space has been built or is under construction.

In addition to the many small businesses in the area, major employers now include Amazon, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Group Health, NBBJ, Microsoft, REI, Tommy Bahama and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute.

A new place to live: Nearly 2,000 units have been built or are currently under construction, with nearly a thousand more in the pipeline. Even more housing units have been built between South Lake Union and downtown. People of all income levels have been attracted to the housing, ranging from affordable studios and subsidized units to market-rate condos and lofts. More than a third of the housing units in South Lake Union is available for people making less than 80% of median income.

A new streetcar has served more than a half-million riders in its first year. With new playgrounds, a new waterfront park and retail businesses, the neighborhood has quickly become an inviting community for work and recreation.

  Jobs and opportunities benefiting all of Seattle

With biotech and high-tech companies leading the expansion, the city now expects more than 20,000 new jobs will be created in South Lake Union by 2012 based on current businesses in the permit process. These new, family-wage jobs are benefiting residents from all across the city and region.

Amazon.com will soon be one of the largest employers in the neighborhood, building a six-block headquarters for all its Seattle employees. With 1.6 million square feet, amazon.com will bring 4,000 jobs with potential expansion of several thousand more jobs in the future.

It was important for the city to lead the way, updating building codes to accommodate unique needs of biotech buildings and working with industry leaders to support this growth. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center employs nearly 3,000 people in South Lake Union and its long-term plan is to add up to 7 new buildings with more than 1 million square feet for lab, research and office space. Other major employers include University of Washington Medicine which recently opened Phase II, and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Group Health, Zymogenetics and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute also call South Lake Union home.

In addition to biotech, a diverse group of new and established South Lake Union employers such as Microsoft, Pemco, NBBJ, REI, The Seattle Times and Tommy Bahama also employ thousands of people.

In 2003, a city-commissioned study by economist Paul Sommers, founder of the Center for Metropolitan Studies at Seattle University, predicted the neighborhood would add 3 million square feet of new homes, offices, labs and retail space between 2004 and 2007. By 2007, more than 4 million square feet of space had been built or was under construction, and the number of jobs created also had surpassed projections.

"The smart investments we've made in South Lake Union are paying off, not just for the neighborhood, but for the entire city," Nickels said.

  Mixed-income housing and a vibrant neighborhood

Buildings and businesses alone don't create neighborhoods; people do. The Mayor's action agenda envisions a community where people live, work, recreate, shop and put their personal stamp on the place.

The housing created in South Lake Union has provided living opportunities for people of all incomes. About a third of the 2,000 rental units built to date are subsidized and available to people making 80% of median income or below.

The neighborhood is a true mix of housing, from subsidized units beginning at just over $400 a month to upscale condominiums selling at market rate. There is also a good diversity of unit sizes from studios to three bedrooms, and a variety of special housing projects such as senior, retirement and low-income family housing.

The City, community partners and private donors also celebrated the opening of the Cascade Playground, and a new children's playground is under construction at Denny Park. With green space and streetscapes that encourage walking, South Lake Union is LEED certified for neighborhood development. Both for-profit and non-profit developers have embraced the design and construction of green buildings in this sustainable neighborhood. These buildings help save money and are healthier for people and for our environment.

"The vision of transforming this once neglected area of our city into a diverse and thriving neighborhood with more homes, more jobs and more opportunities, is becoming a reality," Nickels said.

  Transportation: Supporting jobs, transforming the neighborhood

In Portland, a streetcar helped lead to $1 billion in investment along a line in the Pearl District. Streetcars can spark transformation in neighborhoods, by providing permanent connections that offer certainty to employers and developers along the line.

In 2003, Mayor Nickels proposed the city's first modern streetcar line--a 2.6 round-trip route connecting thousands of new housing units and major employers in South Lake Union with downtown Seattle. Approved by the Council in 2005, the streetcar project began construction in 2006 and took just 18 months. In the first year, ridership was 30% over projections with more than a half-million riders having used the streetcar by its first anniversary.

The streetcar connects South Lake Union, the new waterfront park and Denny Park Triangle to Westlake Center. After arriving downtown, riders can make connections to buses, the transit tunnel and the monorail, making it possible to travel to the Seattle Center, Sea-Tac International Airport and eventually Northgate and the eastside by light rail. After the success of the streetcar in South Lake Union, voters approved another line connecting the International District, First Hill and Capitol Hill.

"A half-million riders on just the first line reflects the tremendous potential of streetcars," Nickels said. "A Seattle streetcar network will be an important part of our future, offering a climate-friendly transportation choice that helps attract employers and encourages more job creation."

Operated by the city by King County Metro, the South Lake Union line uses three air-conditioned trains making 11 stops. Ridership varies greatly depending on the time of day, with strong peak usage during morning, weekday lunch and evening commutes, as well as summer weekends.

No city general fund tax dollars were used to construct or operate the line. Roughly half the $52.1 million cost of the line's design and construction and the purchase of three streetcars came from property owners along the line, who contributed $26 million through an approved Local Improvement District.After the success of the street car in Lake Union, voters approved another line as part of a light rail expansion package, connecting the International District.

  Delivering on a 100-year dream: A new waterfront park

Seattle has talked about having a waterfront park at the south end of Lake Union since the 1903 Olmsted Plan. It is also the top priority of the Neighborhood Plan. Now, Seattle is fulfilling that dream.

In February 2007, Mayor Nickels broke ground for a new Lake Union Park. The design is intended to accommodate large celebrations, improve public access to the lake and support the maritime heritage and preservation organizations associated with the park.

Phase I has already been completed, including new bulkhead walls, boardwalk, terraces and landscaping. The Safeco Bridge that connects the western section of this new waterfront park to the Naval Reserve building was dedicated in February, 2008. Phase II will complete the building of the park, adding a new entrance and completing the edges along the major roadways. A grove of trees, an interactive water fountain, model boat pond and a history trail will be main features within the park. Along with new pathways, parking and lighting, there will also be a beach for hand-launched boats.

Neighbors and stakeholders have played an active role in the planning and design. With a combination of Pro Parks Levy funds and fundraising by the Seattle Parks Foundation, the waterfront park is becoming a reality—a beautiful addition to the city with easy access to the streetcar and pedestrian connections.

  Finally, fixing the "Mercer Mess"

After years of debate, the City of Seattle is moving ahead to transform Mercer Street into a two-way boulevard.

For more than 40 years, drivers have had to navigate the “Mercer Weave” to Fairview and then Valley for traffic exiting I-5. The current street configuration divides neighborhoods, clogs city streets and stalls traffic on I-5 and Aurora Ave. Every day, the existing Mercer Mess makes it difficult for more than 80,000 people to connect to the places where they live, work and socialize.

The vision is to create an efficient two-way corridor from Elliott Way to I-5, fully reconnecting the east/west street grid from Queen Anne across Aurora Avenue to South Lake Union. In 2008, the City Council by a vote of 8-1, approved initial funding for a new Mercer Street.

“We’re on our way to transforming Mercer from a very bad freeway on-ramp to a two-way, walkable boulevard,” Nickels said.

• Reconnecting neighborhoods including Queen Anne, Fremont, Magnolia, Capitol Hill, Interbay, Ballard, Eastlake and South Lake Union.
• Providing a direct route to and from Seattle Center.
• Upgrading freight and transit connections with direct route for Ballard and Interbay to Aurora and I-5.
• Enhancing pedestrian access with more than 30 blocks of sidewalks and convenient, safe crossings.
• Building new bike lanes that connect to the Urban Trail system.
• Improving traffic flow by eliminating the “Mercer Weave.”
• Adding 10-25 percent more capacity to the I-5 off-ramp.
• Establishing a transit corridor for local and regional bus and streetcar.

Phase I of the Mercer Corridor Project will extend from Fairview to Dexter Avenue. Phase II will extend from Dexter Avenue to Elliott Way West. After decades of debate, Seattle is poised to make a long-awaited, critical connection across town.

  HISTORY IN THE MAKING

South Lake Union has a rich history as a work place. In 1892, pioneer David Denny opened his sawmill, bringing shipbuilding, Boeing seaplane fabrication and a regional Model T assembly plant to the neighborhood.

With industrial and commercial growth, housing sprang up to accommodate employees and other residents. The Cascade neighborhood grew as a mixed-use, working-class area with wood frame cottages, boarding houses, churches and schools. After the depression, South Lake Union evolved into a collection of small companies, warehouses and auto-related businesses.

The area became more isolated when Highway 99 was expanded to the west and I-5 was built to the east. In the 1990s, voters twice rejected plans to redevelop the entire area around a central park.

With its rich history and scenic location, South Lake Union is enjoying new life and providing new opportunities for the people of Seattle.