The Mayor’s 2005-2006 budget proposal provides $159 million in funding for 190 projects that support 38 neighborhood plans. The proposed capital improvement program would invest more than $67 million in 2005, an increase of $16 million from 2004. Then, in 2006, $92 million would be spent on neighborhood projects. The Mayor protected the citywide Neighborhood Matching Fund, holding it steady at $3.2 million per year despite huge revenue shortfalls.

Here are some highlights of projects and programs planned for the Denny Triangle, Capitol Hill, the Central Area, First Hill, Pike/Pine, Madison Valley , Montlake and surrounding neighborhoods.

Get Seattle Moving

In 2005, the Mayor’s budget proposes to repave more than 85 lane miles of city streets, including more than 44 miles of arterial roadways. His proposal also includes improving the timing of traffic signals at more than 150 locations and installing 55 new curb ramps. In addition, the Mayor’s budget includes funding to fill up to 70,000 potholes if needed.

• Coordinate Development of the Trans-Lake Washington Project - Provide policy and planning support to review and comment on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the preliminary design for the Trans-Lake Washington Project. The regional project may include replacement of the SR 520 bridge with a four, six or eight lane bridge, new freeway interchanges at Montlake Boulevard , Lake Washington Boulevard , and other improvements.
• Improve access to neighborhood businesses – Improve access and parking for neighborhood business districts that surround downtown Seattle : First Hill, Capitol Hill, Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square , SODO, South Lake Union, Denny Triangle and Queen Anne. Expand availability of short-term parking to better serve businesses and their customers.
• Improve the Right-of-Way at Broadway and Roy Street – Provide various pedestrian improvements, street lighting and drainage at Broadway and Roy streets on Capitol Hill. The improvements are made in conjunction with private development of the Broadway Plaza .

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Keep our neighborhoods safe

Seattle has one of the lowest violent crime rates of any major city in the nation. However, property crime and illegal drugs remain an issue in our neighborhoods. The Mayor’s budget proposes to expand the Neighborhood Corrections Initiative Teams (NCI) into all five police precincts. NCI is a partnership between Seattle Police and the Department of Corrections (DOC), which allows officers to more effectively supervise DOC clients residing in the city. NCI teams are proactive and are often able to intervene before crimes occur. The Mayor also proposes to reconstitute the Stay Out of Drug Area (SODA) program, which helps keep known drug offenders out of neighborhoods where they cause the most harm. All neighborhoods will also benefit from the addition of two full-time staff members for the Seattle Disaster Aid and Response Teams (SDART) to train Seattle neighborhoods to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours following a major disaster.

• Complete Burying of Lincoln Reservoir - In order to improve water quality, enhance security of the water supply, and provide much needed open space, the City will complete burying of the water supply reservoir.
• Develop Urban Flood Prevention and Response Program – To improve response time and recovery from large storms, a new community program will be developed in conjunction with a new flooding database and management system.

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Create jobs and opportunity for all

The Mayor’s budget proposal maintains $160,000 in funding for neighborhood business district grants. Like neighborhood matching funds, these grants enable business districts to determine how to best serve the economic development needs of their neighborhood. The Mayor’s proposal also funds Community Technology Grants of $80,000 to provide matching funds and technical assistance to underserved communities.

• Improve the Broadway Business District – Broadway is being revitalized in several ways: encouraging redevelopment of key properties, implementation of a façade program, a partnership with the Broadway Business Improvement Area to clean up the street, and improvements to the pocket park at the corner of Broadway and Harrison. The Mayor’s budget proposal includes funding for power washing and cleaning of the street.
• Provide Funding for Technology to Underserved Communities –Through the cable franchise agreement, the City will also provide 88 high speed cable broadband connections worth more than $150,000 to community organizations. Those who received these connections in 2004 include: Yesler Community Technology Learning Center, Garfield Teen Life Center, Capitol Hill Neighborhood Service Center, and Hilltop House.

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Build strong families and healthy communities

With the passage of the Families and Education Levy, we will increase investment in children and youth by $4 million, for a total of $31 million, benefiting families in every neighborhood. The Mayor’s Children and Youth Budget aligns levy funds with general fund support.

The Mayor’s 2005 budget will maintain full funding for the capital funding necessary to increase and preserve rental housing ($20 million), expand our supply of affordable homeownership units ($3.6 million) and repair and weatherize existing housing stock ($4.3 million).

• Judkins Park —Sixteen units of affordable family housing adjacent to Judkins Park are now under construction through a partnership between the City and the Housing Resources Group.
• Welch-King Apartments —Families are moving into this development at 23 rd and Jackson , bringing 167 apartments and ground floor retail to the Central District. Both the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development provided assistance to make this mixed-income project feasible.

• Stabilize arts and cultural investments – Restoration of Admission Tax funding for arts and culture ensures support for neighborhood arts council initiatives, access to arts experiences in communities and after school youth arts training. Funding for 2004 neighborhood arts programs supported the Central Area Community Festival and Black to the Future: A Science Fiction Film Festival produced by the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas. The 2005 budget includes a new partnership between the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Parks & Recreation to build upon the 32-year history of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.
• Expand the Douglass-Truth Branch Library – The existing branch library will more than double in size. The expansion project will include an updated collection of books and materials, more room and better accessibility for the African-American Collection, a new children's area, more seating and computers, larger and more efficient staff work areas, and upgraded electrical, mechanical and ventilation systems.
• Replace the Montlake Branch Library - The current 1,574-square-foot library, a converted retail store, is the City’s next-to-smallest neighborhood branch, yet it is heavily used by children, working parents, retirees and University of Washington students. Its collection of picture books, travel and gardening books are particularly popular. The new branch will have an updated and expanded collection capacity of 18,700 books and materials, more seats, a meeting room, upgraded technology services and equipment, and parking.
• Renovate the Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch Library - The renovation will include new seating, upgraded technology services and equipment, better electrical, communication and computer connections, more efficient circulation desk and work areas, improved ventilation, a modern mechanical system, and an updated book collection.
• Cal Anderson Park/Bobby Morris Playfield Improvements - Once the Lincoln Reservoir project is complete in early 2005, more than four more acres of open space will be available and improvements to Cal Anderson Park and Bobby Morris Playfield will begin. Park improvements will include a large water feature (fountain, texture pool, and reflecting pool), promenade, paths, landscaping, irrigation, site lighting, construction of a children’s play area, conversion of the temporary play area to basketball courts, and more distinct park entries and furnishings. Planned playfield improvements include conversion from grass to synthetic turf, new fencing, backstops, wing fencing and covered dugouts.
• Replace the Yesler Community Center – The new 20,000-square-foot full service community center will open in 2005 and provide a space for community activities, including sports, after-school care for elementary school-age kids, teen activities, classes and cultural activities, and community gathering places.
• Improve the Montlake Community Center – These improvements include expanded activity areas, creation of a multi-purpose room, the addition of showers, and more office space.
• Bellevue Substation Park Development – The City will begin planning work in 2006 to develop this new park on West Capitol Hill. It is being acquired from City Light.
• Colman Park Improvement – Restore natural vegetation and plant native trees to improve the park.

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