A Milestone Year

Seattle is evolving at a record pace, and as it does, the Downtown Seattle Association is a steady voice, steward and advocate for the heart of our city and for all who live, work, shop and play here. Each year, we pause to review our progress, and our work to enhance downtown’s economic vitality, public realm and transportation system.

This year we celebrate 20 years of the Metropolitan Improvement District, a business improvement district founded by DSA in 1999 to unite property owners in making important investments in the stewardship of downtown.

The MID has helped downtown keep pace with growing residential, employee and visitor population by providing resources to support a quality public realm, economic development, planning, transportation services and community events.  In recent years, we’ve extended service hours, added cleaning equipment, concierge services, park activation and homeless outreach and support. Today, more than 120 ambassadors provide vital services for all who enjoy downtown.

We’re bringing programs and events to more parks and public spaces, including Westlake Park and Occidental Square, McGraw Square and will soon staff and program two new public spaces: the Square at Second and University and Pier 62, in partnership with Friends of Waterfront Seattle.

We developed detailed plans to transform Third Avenue into a great street for all and secured $40 million to fund a similar vision for Pike and Pine. In February, we released a report on prolific offenders, which sparked a much-needed discussion on the revolving door that exists in Seattle’s criminal justice system.

When SR99 closed earlier this year and the city faced its toughest transportation challenge yet, our partners at Commute Seattle consulted with downtown businesses to ensure employees were prepared with a range of commuting and telework options. The Free Waterfront Shuttle, launched last July, has carried more than 200,000 riders between downtown’s major attractions – providing an easy way to move around our busy downtown.

Whether you’re an existing DSA member, a MID ratepayer, a partner, or a prospective member, we invite you to read our annual report, learn more about our efforts and join us as we work to create a healthy and vibrant downtown.

Sincerely,

Jon Scholes
President & CEO

Urban Experience

Stewarding a clean, safe and welcoming downtown for everyone

Hundreds of thousands of people visit downtown parks and public spaces each year.  Occidental Square and Westlake Park, now under management by DSA, are active, welcoming spots in the heart of the city.  By adding staffing, greenery and furniture and augmenting these spaces with music, activities, food art, lighting and more year-round, DSA makes downtown more vibrant and inviting to everyone.

Social and Earned  Media

This past year, DSA leveraged social media and media relations to promote our mission and vision, highlight the work of our downtown ambassadors and market downtown neighborhoods.

Advocacy and Economic Development

We advocate for our members and ratepayers, shaping key policies on issues ranging from housing and livability to economic competitiveness and transportation.

DSA’s partner organization, Commute Seattle, keeps downtown mobile by helping businesses and property owners take advantage of our region’s transportation resources. Because of Commute Seattle’s successful outreach to local businesses, drive-alone commutes to downtown fell to a record low of 25 percent in 2018.