By Aneesa Grant, The Seattle Medium
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced new legislation aimed at updating the city’s industrial lands policy and zoning, with the aim of creating an estimated 35,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes over the next two decades. The proposal is the first major update to industrial land use policy in decades and is expected to create pathways to careers in industrial and maritime businesses, support transit-oriented job growth in innovation centers near future light rail stations, and support smaller-scale industrial businesses and opportunities for maker spaces near residential areas.
“Our city was founded and flourished on the strength of our industrial and maritime sectors – Seattle’s future requires maintaining and building upon these critical economic cornerstones,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Developed in collaboration with neighbors and leaders in these fields, this proposal advances key shared priorities: A diversified economy with industries and jobs accessible to people of all backgrounds, critically needed new affordable housing, and a more sustainable city for generations to come.”
The proposed legislation would establish three new industrial zones, including Maritime, Manufacturing and Logistics (MML), which would strengthen land use protections for core and legacy industrial and maritime areas to better prevent the encroachment of incompatible developments, Industry and Innovation (II), which would encourage new development in multi-story buildings that accommodate industrial businesses mixed with other dense employment uses, and Urban Industrial (UI), which would increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities with a vibrant mix of affordable, small-scale places for light industry, makers, and creative arts.
The proposed zoning would incentivize about 3,000 additional homes, generating approximately $20 million for affordable housing through the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. Councilmember Dan Strauss expressed support for the proposal, stating that it “protects both our maritime and industrial lands while supporting the flexibility needed to keep up with emerging industrial needs.”
Seattle contains approximately 7,000 acres of industrial lands (11% of the city’s total area) that generate nearly 100,000 critical living-wage jobs, of which two-thirds are accessible without a four-year college degree. Seattle’s maritime industrial economy is supported by the Port of Seattle’s cargo terminals and connecting infrastructure, manufacturing facilities in the Duwamish Valley, Elliott Bay, Lake Union, and Ballard, and the nation’s largest fishing fleet at Fisherman’s Terminal, which is sewn into the fabric of Seattle culture.
Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins praised the Mayor’s approach, stating that it “strikes the right balance between protecting lands that generate jobs and revenue, and creating housing in neighborhoods that offer a quality of life that residents deserve.” Other stakeholders, including representatives from traditional and emerging industrial and maritime businesses, labor, developers, and community representatives from neighborhoods near industrial areas, have also expressed support for the proposal.
The announcement follows years of collaboration between Seattle’s industrial and maritime stakeholders and nearby neighborhood residents. The Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council, comprised of over 60 stakeholders, was created in November 2019 to update industrial land use policy for the first time in decades. The council released 11 strategies to support the next generation of industrial and maritime jobs in June 2021, with ongoing efforts to implement additional strategies to support Seattle’s industrial maritime economy.
In addition to updating the city’s industrial lands policy and zoning, ongoing work includes collaboration with stakeholders to identify freight transportation improvements, establishing a new citywide industrial and maritime business advocacy and stewardship organization, and adopting new subarea plans for the Ballard-Interbay-Northend and Greater Duwamish Maritime Industrial Centers.
