Renewal and Expansion Strategy Rescuing, Renewing, and Revitalizing Downtown Seattle s Urban Neighborhoods
What is the MID? Ratepayer Based Business Improvement Area (BIA) Founded in 1999 Governed by 21 member Ratepayers Board Originally 225 city blocks (expanded to 285 in 2013) Established by RCW 35.87A [to] aid general economic development and neighborhood revitalization, and to facilitate the cooperation of merchants, businesses, and residential property owners which assists trade, economic viability, and livability
Downtown Ambassadors Original Boundaries 225 + 60 expanded = 285 square blocks of Clean & Safe Services
Critical MID Services Cleaning and Safety, Hospitality 7 days a week, 6:00am 9:30pm Clean Teams (graffiti removal, garbage pick-up, sweep alleys, sidewalks) Foot and bike patrols (safety, human services, off-duty police officers) Economic Development, Business Recruitment & Retention Downtown Destination and Neighborhood Marketing Public space management Commute Trip Reduction (Commute Seattle)
National Context Where Downtown Seattle stacks up Total Annual Operation Budget # of Blocks Philadelphia $18,000,000 120 $69,000 Los Angeles $5,400,000 65 $46,000 Washington DC $10,200,000 138 $43,000 Denver $5,700,000 120 $25,000 Seattle $5,600,000 225 $15,000 Portland $4,400,000 213 $10,000 Clean and Safe Investment Per Block There are 1002 BIAs Nationally 293 in cities with 500,000+
Action Plan In order to be successful, the approach would involve a clearly defined goal supported by measurable objectives, supported by attainable strategies and tactics. Goal: Maintain Downtown Seattle as an inviting, clean and safe place to live, work, shop and play. Objectives: Renew the MID with at least 60% petition support. Expand into Belltown and additional areas of Pioneer Square.
Strategies & Tactics Deliver a series of communications that would be different for the proposed expansion neighborhoods and the established MID neighborhoods, utilizing Belltown opinion leaders as the primary messengers, and DSA leadership. (DSA/MID President &CEO, and MID Ratepayer Advisory Board Chair) Proactively pitch stories to the media after the necessary percentage of petition signers was reached in order to build City Council support for renewal. Position the MID renewal as an essential part of increasing Downtown property values and keeping Downtown clean, safe, and vibrant. Enlist DSA leadership and other third party opinion leaders, Downtown business leaders, advocates, and other stakeholders to communicate the value of the MID to policy makers, the media, and target area residents via individual presentations.
Additional Strategies & Tactics Utilize the DSA State of Downtown Annual Economic Forum to build widespread support for MID renewal among the 1,200+ business and community opinion leaders in attendance. Put a face on the MID by profiling Ambassadors and members of the second chance employment program. MID Undercover Rate Payer. (A take-off on CBS-TV s Undercover Boss.) The approach for current ratepayers included testimonials from key supporters (businesses, residents, opinion leaders, and local elected officials) to deliver messages via traditional and social media outreach efforts. A public affairs agency was engaged to work with DSA/MID staff to contact key supporters and enlist their help on key messaging. For higher level support, DSA President & CEO, DSA Board and MID Ratepayer Advisory Board Officers would reach out to key ratepayers.
The official campaign kicked off in January of 2013 News releases deployed from the DSA announcing that the MID renewal campaign was underway. The DSA homepage provided regular updates including FAQ, a fact sheet, photos videos petition status, etc. February through May, the campaign issued updated news releases and used carefully staged press via print and local broadcast media to deliver stories about the MID Ambassadors and MID services. The Annual DSA State of Downtown breakfast would provide the opportunity for DSA President & CEO Kate Joncas to announce the completion of the petition drive and encourage attendees to contact City Council members to express support for the MID renewal, and postcards were supplied for signatures.
The Press Gets on Board The MID renewal continued to pick up momentum garnering support from a story appearing on the City s Seattle Channel, and The Seattle Times, with a perfectly timed guest editorial (achieved by scheduling a meeting with the Editorial the week before City Council s vote on the MID renewal. http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?id=7011302&file=1 Seattle Times editorial supports the MID s role in property management for public spaces and crediting the MID with cleaning up downtown, and making it safer and more livable for residents and more hospitable for visitors. Editorial calls Seattle s ambassadors program essential. (The Seattle Times, Op/Ed April 15, 2013). Just two weeks earlier, Belltown Community Council President Elizabeth Campbell appeared before City Council and expressed that, We love being the place where the rest of Seattle comes to play but we can t clean up after all of Seattle on our own.
Results! The efforts of a carefully crafted and meticulously executed MID Renewal and Expansion Campaign by the DSA and MID, won unanimous approval from the City Council to renew the MID in Downtown Seattle for another 10 years, and expand the service area with the addition of 60 square blocks in the Belltown and Pioneer Square neighborhoods. In the year following the July 1, 2013 renewal, the efforts of those uncelebrated Ambassadors continue to go unnoticed as they keep a clean, safe, and vibrant face on Seattle s urban core. cleaning 549 alleys and power-washing 101 sidewalks removing 40,712 graffiti tags and stickers from public structures collecting more than 657,900 pieces of trash providing visitor and transit information to 223,000 visitors investing more than 1,200 hours on outreach to people in need to identify barriers to housing, medical assistance, jobs, and case management.