The first three proposals have been received and evaluated for the Industrial Development District (IDD). The IDD is a partnership involving the City of Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington that seeks innovative proposals for industrial development that have been challenging to implement due to regulatory, policy, or financial issues. I and my [...]

Seattle’s long range strategy for encouraging manufacturing is paying off, as Forbes magazine, in a recent article, rated the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolitan Area as the top area for manufacturing growth in the nation over the last five years. Manufacturing employment is growing around the country, as industries realize the opportunity for ‘reshoring’ industrial activity.  Much of [...]

A partnership involving the City of Seattle, King County, the Port, and the State of Washington will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek innovative proposals for industrial development ideas that have been challenging to implement due to regulatory, policy, or financial issues.  This is the first step in a project for adding [...]

On January 9 the Council will adopt its new Committee structure for 2012-2013.  I will likely Chair a Committee we have named Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability (PLUS).  Once approved, this committee will work on legislation relating to land use and urban planning, as well as oversee the Office of Sustainability and Environment and the [...]

Cities thrive when they integrate the vitality of urban life with their natural surroundings.  That’s why so many of us live here and wouldn’t trade our access to Puget Sound, the Olympics, and Mount Rainier for anything. But at the heart of Seattle is a waterway that we turn our back on:  the Duwamish River [...]