U District Advocacy Helps Drive Permitting Reform at City Hall

September 18, 2025

This week, the Seattle City Council approved a set of permitting reforms designed to make it easier for small businesses to open and thrive across the city. Championed by Council President Sara Nelson and supported by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Office of Economic Development, the legislation streamlines costly and unpredictable requirements that have long hindered the reuse of vacant storefronts.

Earlier this year, UDP Executive Director Don Blakeney joined local construction and design professionals in briefing the City Council on the real-world challenges small businesses, property owners, and homeowners face when navigating Seattle’s permitting system. Those insights—rooted in the experiences of our community—helped shape the reforms adopted this week.

UDP has seen firsthand how complex permitting can slow neighborhood revitalization. In 2023, our storefront improvement grants nearly $5 million to more than 130 U District businesses, enabling crucial upgrades that had been delayed during the pandemic. While these investments strengthened our district, they also revealed how unpredictable permitting costs and delays can put projects, and businesses, at risk.

By elevating these stories and working with partners across the city, the U District community helped ensure that new legislation addresses these barriers. The reforms promise more predictable processes, reduced costs, and a smoother path to bringing long-vacant spaces back into productive use—an important step for historic commercial districts like the U District.

We are grateful to Council President Sara Nelson for her leadership, to the Office of Economic Development for its partnership, and to the small businesses and property owners whose voices guided this effort. This outcome underscores the power of community advocacy and the important role The U District Partnership plays in advancing policies that make our neighborhood more vibrant and welcoming.