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Seattle Neighborhood Economic Recovery Grants include thousands for new Broadway murals, Capitol Hill small biz e-commerce, and support for a new 12th Ave ‘community market’

 

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Director Egan Orion and a BIA cleaning crew (Image: Broadway Business Improvement Area”

A $1.35 million round of Neighborhood Economic Recovery Grants from the city will include money to boost business friendly organizations active around Capitol Hill and the Central District.

The awards announced this week as one of the final acts of Mayor Jenny Durkan’s term are built from funding through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act.

“Neighborhood business districts in Seattle are the heart of our neighborhoods and centers of community, commerce and culture, which is why we quickly directed federal funding to established business districts who have been working tirelessly to extend lifelines to local businesses and revitalize our neighborhoods,” Durkan said in praise of the federal support.

Project grants were awarded to organizations including $25,000 to create a Central Area Chamber business directory, $75,000 to Simply Soulful to “convert the old restaurant space into a commissary kitchen and popup event space to help BIPOC businesses revive and grow,” $85,000 to Wa Na Wari, and $25,000 to the Community Roots Housing Foundation to support a new pop-up market “along Howell Street mini block that will showcase BIPOC businesses.” 12th Avenue Recovery, an organization granted $75,000 to hold “a summer community market, activate and beautify 12th Ave Square Park & 12th Ave Street with landscaping and tables and chair.”

The funding awards, according to the Durkan announcement, were intended to “support community-led strategies to reignite the local economy with an intentional focus on promoting racial equity.”

Grants to support operations at chambers of commerce include $100,000 to the Broadway BIA

  • Install murals, signal boxes, and Pride Progress Sidewalks to beautify the neighborhood and tie the struggles and victories of the LGBTQIA+ community with those of BIPOC communities. Create a retail and restaurant printed guide to highlight the great small businesses on Broadway, many of which are BIPOC-owned. Do a deep clean of the district to make it more welcoming for all. Holiday activations and new banners along the street will relay our community values (“Welcome All”) and provide some festiveness for the holiday season ahead.

And $100,000 granted to the Capitol Hill Business Alliance and GSBA

  • Develop a robust digital presence to share resources and improve community connectivity. Will also facilitate Capitol Hill businesses expanding into the online world by providing a space where all who do business can list and sell their products and goods. Public space activation are aimed to bring foot traffic to the neighborhood built around a voucher campaign to be spent at participating businesses.

Selection of awardees and final grant amounts were based on equity and service in “high-displacement risk neighborhoods” and projects “focusing support for Black, Indigenous and people of color businesses and communities,” plus economic recovery factors, according to the Durkan announcement.

 

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Michael Calkins
2 years ago

More murals! Seriously it makes the space around you not feel so depressing in the winer.

chris b
chris b
2 years ago

How is it that Egan does so much more for the neighborhood than Sawant?