State of Downtown Highlights Progress and Future Vision for Seattle’s Core

SEATTLE, Feb. 25, 2025 — The Downtown Seattle Association hosted its 20th annual State of Downtown event Tuesday, bringing together business leaders, community stakeholders and elected officials to discuss the progress and future of Seattle’s downtown core. The event revealed key findings from our annual State of Downtown report, highlighting positive trends in economic indicators and revitalization efforts. Attendees heard from DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes, keynote speaker Marc Dunkelman, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson.

“Today’s event showcased the incredible progress downtown Seattle has made in the past year,” Scholes said. “From increased worker and visitor foot traffic and a surge in new residential construction to the exciting developments on our waterfront, we are seeing real momentum. The energy in the room today reinforces our optimism for the future.”

The positive momentum downtown is driven by various encouraging trends. Worker foot traffic has surged to more than 88,000 people per day — a 14% increase from 2023. Hotel demand has also rebounded with over 4 million room nights sold, the highest level since 2019. Local visitors are returning in droves, with over 1.1 million unique visitors exploring downtown in 2024, surpassing 2019 figures. This resurgence is further fueled by a surge in new construction, with Seattle leading 10 peer downtowns in development projects completed in 2024. The number of downtown residents now tops 108,000, and 88 new street-level businesses have opened, adding to the vibrancy of the core.

These gains are complemented by collaborations with the city, such as the Downtown Activation Team, which has contributed to a decrease in street disorder, violent crime and fentanyl-related overdoses. Exciting developments on the waterfront, including the new Overlook Walk and the upcoming completion of Waterfront Park, further underscore the progress being made.

“2024 was a banner year for demonstrating sustained progress on public safety and enhancing our built environment as the vision for our reimagined waterfront came into focus,” Harrell said. “Downtown is the heartbeat of our city, and, together, we are going beyond a Monday-to-Friday pitstop to create a dynamic Sunday-to-Sunday neighborhood.”

In addition to reflecting on 2024, the State of Downtown looked ahead to 2025 and beyond, putting the spotlight on upcoming light rail service upgrades, more waterfront transformations, the Memorial Stadium remodel, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and more. All of that information and much more can be found in our State of Downtown Economic Report.

“Downtowns are shared spaces, and their success is a shared responsibility,” said Dunkelman, author of the recently published “Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress – and How to Bring it Back” and fellow in International and Public Affairs at Brown University. “By working together, the public and private sectors can overcome the barriers that too often prevent civic leaders from tackling big challenges.Seattle boasts a series of compelling examples for cities across the country.”

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About the Downtown Seattle Association

Established in 1958, the Downtown Seattle Association is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to create a healthy, vibrant downtown for all. By advocating on issues including transportation, economic development and the urban experience, DSA works to ensure that downtown remains a great place to live, work, shop and play for all. DSA also manages the Metropolitan Improvement District, a business-improvement area spanning 300 square blocks downtown.