The Northwest School’s rooftop sports field above Pike and Bellevue (Image: Northwest School)

The city has announced $4.7 million Building Decarbonization Grants for 2025 including funding for work at Capitol Hill’s Northwest School.

“These grants will cover design or retrofits to reduce climate pollution and help buildings reach Building Emissions Performance Standard targets,” the Summit Ave private middle and high school said in a statement on the grant.

The school will receive $31,000 to fund an engineering design for decarbonizing two school buildings part of its campus that dots portions of multiple Capitol Hill blocks including the 38,300-square-foot gymnasium, theater, and cafeteria facility it opened in 2014 at the corner of Pike and Bellevue. The building has a sports field and play area on its roof.

Other awards include $44,475 to fund an “electrification feasibility study to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive district steam” to the Seattle Art Museum and $1,149,500 to Community Roots Housing for “installation of heat pumps and electric stoves to eliminate gas usage.”

The city’s full roster of the 17 2025 grant recipients is here.

The grants are administered by the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment’s Building Emissions Navigator program and follow a pilot grant program in 2024.

The city says the Navigator program also offers a free technical support program for owners and managers of buildings larger than 20,000 square feet to help them meet Building Emissions Performance Standard targets.

The city’s proposed budget includes funding for the Navigator program to award grants again in 2026.

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