Beyond the Levy: A Closer Look at the Seattle Commons
By Yordanos Tesfazion
As Seattle Parks Foundation celebrates its 25th Anniversary, we want to uplift the history and people who have made this milestone possible. With the help of our community, philanthropic, and corporate partners, we have proudly supported over 300 grassroots projects throughout the region.
Seattle Parks Foundation was created in response to the failure of the Seattle Commons levy in the 1990s. The levy was centered around a large central park and aimed to turn South Lake Union into an “urban village” to help brace the city for an influx of new residents. Getting the Commons levy on the ballot was a challenging endeavor that took years of trial and error – an inspiring journey that reminds us of how excited the city was about welcoming a massive public park to South Lake Union.
At its very core, South Lake Union is a hotspot for innovation. The early 1900s were filled with historic milestones, including the Ford Motor Company opening their first Model T assembly plant west of the Mississippi River, Bill Boeing’s successful test flight of his first airplane (a seaplane, at that), and Lake Union becoming the first international airmail destination in the country. Up until this century, South Lake Union was an industrial neighborhood filled with warehouses, factories, repair shops, and other small businesses, with a mix of low-income housing scattered throughout the area.
From the influx of Silicon Valley companies adding Seattle to their list of office locations to the thriving local businesses around the walkable neighborhood, South Lake Union undoubtedly continues to live up to its dynamic past. Now, imagine the possibilities that could have been if things went a bit differently in the ‘90s…
A Proposal for the People
When the state experienced an unexpected surge in residents during the middle and late ’80s, the Washington Legislature adopted the Growth Management Act in 1990. The abrupt increase in population was deemed to be unsustainable, and a Comprehensive Plan was needed to preserve the quality of life in Washington. Seattle and other surrounding cities in the Puget Sound region were tasked with the challenge of developing a Comprehensive Plan that followed an “urban village strategy.”
In 1991, Seattle Times columnist John Hinterberger and Seattle architect Fred Bassetti proposed the idea of the Seattle Commons. Initially, the Commons was presented to the Comprehensive Plan committee as an 85-acre park in 1992. That number dwindled down to 61 acres, with land stretching from Lake Union all the way to Denny Way. The Commons was to mirror public spaces like Central Park and Boston Park, providing Seattleites with a lush green space consisting of “…open meadows, a meandering stream, informal ballfields, tree-lined paths, ball courts, and playgrounds.”
If passed, the project would transform the working-class neighborhoods of Cascade and South Lake Union into an “urban village,” just in time to welcome the wave of new residents that Seattle needed to accommodate. The 61-acre park was designed to be encompassed by various housing developments and commercial buildings. Around 15,000 people would live around the Commons and the city would gain nearly 12,000 new jobs.
The Committee for the Seattle Commons, a nonprofit organization dedicated to garnering support for the proposal, was formed shortly after Hinterberger and Bassett proposed the idea.
The Visionaries Behind the Park
It took a few years for Mayor Norm Rice and the Seattle City Council to get on board with the Commons committee’s proposal. When they finally endorsed a revised second draft of the plan in 1993, city planners got to work. After a series of studies conducted by the city and the Commons committee, Mayor Rice proposed a third draft that included a 61-acre park. In 1995, City Council put an $111 million Seattle Commons levy on the ballot, which would cost homeowners an average of $48 in property taxes annually, for eight years.
The Committee for the Seattle Commons attracted a solid group of loyal supporters who raised nearly $900,000 in cash and in-kind donations. Most notably, the support of the late Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Paul Allen, a Seattleite himself, was monumental in showcasing the potential behind the Commons.
Much of the transformation that Lake Union and the greater Seattle area has seen over the past several decades can be credited to Allen. Following the formation of Microsoft in Alburquerque, New Mexico with co-founder and childhood friend Bill Gates, Allen returned to Seattle with a philanthropic spirit.
Allen was quick to anonymously lend $20 million to the Commons committee, only a year after their formation in 1991, and agreed to donate the money if voters approved the project. His financial contributions were one of many points of concern to those opposed to the project.
Community Concerns
Critics were worried about the motive behind Allen’s investments, speculating that the billionaire and other wealthy stakeholders were only supporting the Commons committee in an attempt to hike up property value for future development plans. Affordable housing advocates were also troubled about what would happen to the low-income housing in the area. Furthermore, community members and small business owners were distraught at the planned displacement of 130 existing businesses.
On a Friday before the 1995 vote, Hinterberger wrote a piece in The Seattle Times addressing the public’s concerns. Disheartened by their misinformed response to the project, he attempted to set the record straight.
The Seattle Commons was for the people. Like many investments, it required temporary inconveniences and patience before Seattle could reap any benefits. The proposal for the 61-acre park did not require the demolition of a single residence. Instead, it outlined a plan to preserve 600 existing homes while simultaneously building 8,000 new housing units. City Council had even planned to spend $7 million on low-income housing.
Additionally, the proposal included a comprehensive relocation plan for affected businesses, setting aside money to fund re-establishment costs, and over 200 business owners in South Lake Union stood behind the Commons campaign. Hinterberger reemphasized that the success of the Commons levy would also create thousands of new jobs.
He left readers with this question: “Twenty years from now, will any person – any parent – be proud to say, “I helped stop that park?””
Ultimately, opponents of the project raised $500,000 and Seattle residents voted against the Seattle Commons levy in 1995 and 1996.
Rejection is Redirection
Allen had invested upwards of $30 million in land he hoped to donate to the city if the levy passed. In anticipation of going forward with alternative plans, he issued the following statement: “Although I’m disappointed this measure did not pass, I respect the voices of the voters who have defeated the Commons. My loan to the Seattle Commons will not be renewed, and I will be moving ahead with other projects and investments for those funds.”
Through multiple private development projects led by his company, Vulcan Real Estate, Allen continued to invest in South Lake Union, determined to renovate the neighborhood one way or another. Despite being Commons-less, Allen’s revival of South Lake Union has resulted in over 75,000 jobs and over 2,000 housing units in the neighborhood.
The unsuccessful outcome of the Commons levy, although disappointing, did not completely dissuade civic leaders who were committed to bringing more green public spaces to Seattle. In 1999, five determined community members gathered to form a parks foundation in partnership with Mayor Paul Schel.
Coming up on our next blog post in this series – the Seattle Parks Foundation story.
Sources
A walking tour of the South Lake Union that might have been – Mark Baumgarten
How Paul Allen changed the landscape of Seattle – King 5
How SLU Became a World-Class Innovation Hub – Vulcan Real Estate
Lake Union (Seattle) Tour – Paula Becker
Seattle Commons Draft Plan – Seattle Municipal Archives Digital Collections
Seattle voters reject the Seattle Commons levy on September 19, 1995 – Paula Becker
South Lake Union: The Evolution of a Dream – Walt Crowley, Paul Dorpat, Louis Fiset and Alyssa Burrows
The Commons: A Time Line – Seattle Times Archive
The Commons Was To Be Fun – John Hinterberger