The day’s main program at the Rainier Club was a high profile “three-fer” with Mayor Bruce Harrell, his director of economic development, Markham McIntyre, and Downtown Seattle Association president & CEO, Jon Scholes offering their perspectives about downtown revitalization.

The mayor emphasized public safety and the challenges of ‘righting the ship’ following COVID. “We are getting about 10 applications for the police department every day, adding 150 new officers and a new chief,” he said. “Making downtown safe is central to increasing the number of people who live downtown, along with tax incentives for small business development. We are positioning the city for greatness with community building, faith and hard work.”

As the city’s economic development director, Markham McIntyre, provided graphic evidence of progress and how the mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan aims to get more people downtown. He described how the city is dealing with addiction, recovery and mental health through collaboration and bold goals to revitalize downtown. “Increasing downtown bike patrols, public space activations, better lighting are among the steps the city in partnership with downtown businesses are taking to make sure it is safe,” he said.

“We’ve avoided the doom look and on our way to the bloom look,” quipped DSA president, Jon Scholes as he reported on downtown’s upward swing -- visitors and hotel over nights at pre-covid levels and more people living downtown in109,000 units with another twenty-five units under construction.

“Our partnership with the city has grown stronger from supporting police with 165 DSA downtown ambassadors to summer concerts and taking advantage of under-utilized spaces,” he said. “Although our primary mission is to bring unique experiences to downtown, we all must do more to help people get off the streets with better connections to services and housing.”

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) provides services to the area from Denny to T-Mobile and I-5 to the waterfront. He concluded by encouraging Rotarians who serve in other organizations to “host a meeting in Seattle”!

President Jan opened the meeting with appreciation from the Rotary Boys & Girls Club for the ninety-six handwritten ‘back to school’ cards with words of encouragement from each

Rotarian. Linda Rough, accompanied by Jevon Powell on guitar, led a rousing rendition of Bob Dylan’s hit 1963 protest song, Blowin’ in the Wind. John Kilpatrick introduced new club member Andrew Doran. Members enjoyed a brief table talk about the four-way test and its meaning.

Thank you Pete!