Only in Seattle Initiative
Neighborhood business districts are the places where small businesses thrive, communities engage,
and jobs are created. Successful small businesses are the key to creating and preserving vibrant, safe,
sustainable districts and businesses are most successful when they are located in neighborhoods with
an active street life and healthy sense of community.
This initiative is based on proven methodologies for creating vibrant business districts. There are a set
of core building blocks that are the critical components of any successful district. Business districts
benefit most from comprehensive approaches that work simultaneously in the following strategy
areas:
- Business Organization - Neighborhood organizations, residents, property owners and business
owners collaborate and work together toward a common vision for the neighborhood.
- Business and Retail Development - Businesses prosper because they are organized, supported
by the community and they receive the assistance they need to strengthen and grow their
business. New businesses move into the district that complement and improve the business mix.
- Safety and Cleanliness – The district is clean and customers feel safe and welcome.
- Marketing and Promotion - The district has a positive, consistent image that helps draw more
customers to visit it.
- Appearance and Pedestrian Environment – the retail and pedestrian environment are attractive,
inviting and easily accessible by multiple modes of transportation. Catalyst real estate projects
rehabilitate or replace vacant or underutilized spaces, generating a sense of forward momentum
and improvement in the district.
- For the complete program description, click here.
OED has an annual Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select new neighborhoods to be part of the initiative.
To download the complete application, click here
To download sections of the application that are templates, click the following:
Cover Page
Action Plan Template
Action Plan Budget
If the links do not download, please try downloading them in a different browser or right-clicking on each link and selecting "Save Link As".
Electronic applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 2, 2012 to Beth Dufek at Impact Capital – email beth@impactcapital.org. Late applications or hardcopies will not be accepted.
Click here for Only in Seattle FAQs.
For more information contact Theresa Barreras at 206-684-4505 or theresa.barreras@seattle.gov.
Community Development Corporations
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are non-profit organizations devoted to building and supporting communities in our region's most culturally rich, income diverse, and threatened places.
For additional information, contact:
Theresa Barreras
theresa.barreras@seattle.gov
206-684-4505
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City of Seattle Funding
- The Neighborhood Matching Fund provides money to Seattle neighborhood groups and organizations for a broad array of neighborhood-initiated improvement, organizing or planning projects.
- The Community Technology Program provides grants to Seattle groups to increase technology literacy and access and to enhance electronic civic participation through the Bill Wright Technology Matching Fund
- The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Neighborhood & Community Arts program supports Seattle's neighborhood arts councils and community groups that produce events to promote arts and cultural participation and build community
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Private Funders
- Impact Capital provides real estate financing products and community building support to non-profit community-based organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
- Seattle Foundation supports organizations by making capital, equipment and operating support grants to increase organizations' capacities to serve their constituents.
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