Greetings, Seattle Metro Chamber members,
Since September, it has been my pleasure to serve as the Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Trustees, and I am looking forward to many more months of service in this role. We’ve accomplished so much in a short time, a fact I was reflecting on when I saw so many of you in person at the Public Officials Reception on Dec. 7.
So let me take us back to September, when the theme of the 2023 Annual Meeting was Vision and Opportunity. That was the day I picked up the gavel, and in addition to an incredible fireside chat between outgoing Chamber Board Chair Pallavi Mehta Wahi and Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, I committed to focus on three priorities during my time as Chair: downtown revitalization, public safety, and regional transportation
And we have accomplishments under our belt to celebrate in all three:
- In Seattle, after a chaotic first attempt, the Seattle City Council passed legislation aimed at public drug use to get people the help they need and give law enforcement another tool to address the deadly fentanyl crisis. Additionally, new public safety investments championed by Mayor Bruce Harrell were included in the 2024 city budget and a leader was chosen to head up the new third-force crisis response in the city. And finally, thanks to recruitment and retention efforts, Seattle Police Department is now averaging 200 applicants per month, and from January through September, there was a 43% decrease in officer resignations compared to the same timeframe last year. The Chamber and our members advocated strongly for all of these wins.
- The region’s economic engine, downtown Seattle, has also gotten a boost. The city approved residential towers up to 440 feet – an increase from the current limit of 170 feet – along a stretch of Third Avenue in a successful upzone effort. The council approved a one-time extension for Master Use Permits that will provide market-rate developers with the flexibility they need to weather economic challenges, secure necessary permits, and proceed with construction when it is financially feasible. And at the last committee meeting to pass that legislation, many testified virtually and the single individual who provided in-person testimony was the Chamber’s own Policy Specialist Lilly Hayward.
- And in transportation successes, the East Link Light Rail Starter Line got the green light from Sound Transit, the Chamber kickstarted a partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County to work on regional transportation issues, and we convened a business group to work on the city’s Levy to Move Seattle renewal.
Good things are also happening because of our amazing partners.
The University of Washington is being celebrated on the big screen in a new film based on the “Boys in the Boat” book, and the timing couldn’t be better: the Huskies head to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. And building off the Mariners hosting an amazing MLB All-Star Week, Seattle will host the NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park on Jan. 1.
The new Seattle waterfront is taking shape before our eyes, and we are thrilled about Elliott Bay Connections, a new public–private partnership to connect, restore, and revitalize public parks along the Elliott Bay waterfront from Pier 62 to the beach just south of Smith Cove. And the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion is going to excite and delight.
Plus, King County just passed a measure to boost arts funding in our region – a move the Chamber enthusiastically supported. Tacoma Link expanded to Hilltop, and Bellevue began visioning and design work on the Grand Connection Crossing, the pedestrian and bike bridge over I-405. And, importantly, we worked hard to elect new leaders around the region, especially in Seattle, who are giving us a renewed sense of optimism heading into 2024.
Now is the time to keep our foot on the gas.
We need to continue to work tirelessly to create a truly welcoming environment for all businesses in the Puget Sound region, from the largest companies in the world, to nonprofit employers, to historically underrepresented small businesses.
Let’s continue to stare down the challenge of housing affordability at the state and local levels by making it easier to build more types of housing in more neighborhoods – and make sure they are connected by great transportation choices.
And now is the time to hold leaders accountable to making our communities safer – by helping those in need and enforcing the law.
Finally in 2024, let’s think Upward Together; let’s celebrate each other’s accomplishments, think big about the future and think about the ways we can each contribute to each other’s efforts.
This is the best business community in the world. Working together we can continue to make progress on the big challenges, stay laser focused on growing prosperity in the region, and make the most of the opportunities in front of us.
I look forward to working with you in 2024,
Ada Healey
2023-2024 Chair, Seattle Metro Chamber Board of Trustees
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Chief Real Estate Officer
VulcanRealEstate.com
