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CDC Keeps Seattle's International District Vibrant |
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"The history of the neighborhood and the activist past of our residents is helping to keep our community's issues at the forefront of development decisions," comments Sue Taoka, executive director of the Seattle-Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. With an annual budget of $3.8 million, the development authority, founded in 1975, is one of the largest and best-established community development corporations in the nation serving the Asian and Asian Pacific Islander community. The authority manages properties and develops mixed-use facilities such as the International District Village Square, the largest multiethnic project in the Pacific Northwest. The Chinatown International District lies slightly south of Seattle's historic downtown core. It is the only place in the continental United States where Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, African Americans, and Vietnamese have settled within one neighborhood. The district, built on reclaimed tidal flats in 1910, became the cultural hub of the Asian-American community in the early decades of the 20th century. In recent years the development authority has had a major role in preserving and developing the cultural and economic heritage of the neighborhood and keeping it economically vibrant. The Village Square project, the first phase of which was completed in 1998, is a residential and community center for multicultural, intergenerational, and collaborative programs and services. It contains housing for the elderly, childcare, a computerized multilingual job-training center, and a healthcare clinic with employment and mental health services. The development authority manages the mixed-use facility, which includes 75 studio and 1-bedroom apartments, mental health transitional housing, a social service agency, and retail and restaurant space. Village Square also administers a subsidized hot meal program for the elderly. The authority currently is developing the second phase of the project, which will include additional residential units and a new community public library. Previously, the development authority rehabilitated the Bush Annex in the International District (a project completed in 1987), which now houses the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the Northwest Asian American Theater, and Colors Abloom, a flower shop. In addition the authority oversees the Jackson Apartment Building, with 17 HUD housing choice voucher rental units; and the New Central Apartments consisting of retail and office space, and 62 affordable housing units. Secrets of success. To build the Village Square development—its most ambitious project to date—the development authority used mixed financing. "We used a combination of CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds, money from a capital campaign, and various local lenders," states Taoka. The success of previous projects in the neighborhood, including the Bush Annex and Bush Asia Center, and the commitment of the local community helped to create the financing package used for the first phase of development. "We try to involve all the potential stakeholders in the design and development phases," states Taoka, adding that this type of involvement requires an architect who is comfortable with the participatory design process. Current challenges. Strong economic growth in the city and development pressure from downtown and bordering neighborhoods are creating a new environment for community development. "Most of the less costly development is complete in the neighborhood," says Taoka. Developing the historical buildings and the more seriously deteriorated properties that remain will require greater monetary investment. Development pressures from nearby downtown—including two new sports stadiums and 1.4 million square feet of new office space to house high technology companies—pose new challenges to the ethnic and residential character of the neighborhood. A recent controversy over whether or not to situate a fast food restaurant in the International District resulted in community protests. To meet these challenges, the development authority relies on the activist tradition of the neighborhood and the high value residents place on preserving its cultural character. For more information, contact: Sue Taoka, Executive Director, SCIDPDA, Bush Asia Center, 409 Maynard Avenue South, Suite 200, P.O. Box 3302, Seattle, WA 98114, (206) 624-8929, Suet@SCIDPDA.org.
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