14 Dec South Downtown Development Fact Sheet

Below is data from 1980 to present showing the volume and variety of development that has taken place in the area of South Downtown, including Pioneer Square, Chinatown/ID, Little Saigon and Greater Duwamish/Stadium zone. The studied expanse duplicates the areas under consideration for increased zoning capacity in the City’s proposed Livable South Downtown Legislation.

The vast majority of development – 278 parcels (69%) –occurred prior to 1950. A close inspection of the last 30 years, including the development boom in the mid-2000s, shows just 48 locations of development/redevelopment in the entire South Downtown. This data illustrates a startling case of chronic underdevelopment during a time when citywide residential and commercial uses expanded greatly citywide.

*Includes The Asia – built in 1990’s, then converted to condominiums in 2002; Eastern Hotel Apartments – built early 20^th century and renovated in 1998; NP Hotel Apartments, built in early 20^th Century and renovated in 1994
**Qwest Event Center

Census and parcel data for the area show a total of approximately 549 parcels of land in South Downtown, where approximately 39% of the parcels have never had structures developed on them.

Of those 549 parcels, 57 (10%) are surface parking lots, either commercial or leased by an adjacent business. When compared to of developed uses*, surface parking comprises 15% of the uses in the proposed upzone area.

By comparison, in just the last five years (2005-2010,) 142 projects have been developed in adjacent Center City neighborhoods (South Lake Union, First Hill, Denny Triangle, Pike/Pine, Central Business District, Belltown, Waterfront), exclusive of South Downtown neighborhoods.

*IE, buildings or structures. Some businesses/buildings were developed on top of multiple parcels, but were counted only once.