CID 5 Year Threats and Opportunities
Chinatown / International District
Introduction
Below are maps showing permits and property data around the CID and the proposed South station to show what is being changed. The data is from mostly open source datasets from the City of Seattle or King County. All the maps are interactive, so the points and shapes can be clicked on to display more information. Many of the points overlap, so click on the arrows on the popup to navigate between the interactive shapes on top of each other.
Public Land Use
This map shows the public space within a 0.25-mile distance around the CID. The column KCTP_NAME has the name of who owns the land and the TYPE_ column tells the type of company that owns the land. These 2 columns should give a broad overview of who owns the land and in turn, generally describe how the land is being used.
Zoning
This map shows the zones in the CID. Zoning codes show how most of the land is being used and developed in these areas. The CID neighborhood is composed of mostly mixed-use development zones which means that both commercial and residential development is generally allowed. Mixed-use development zones allow communities to have diverse functions that coexist and support a combination of residential, commercial, and recreational uses.
Parcels & Permits
This map shows parcels and permits within a 0.25-mile distance from the CID. The parcels are from the King County Tax Accessor database which shows property data around the CID. Demolition permits and Master use permits are shown overlapping one another which can be navigated between overlapping points by clicking on the arrows on the popup.
The variety of demolition permits indicates that the CID is constantly being redeveloped to either update its old buildings or be replaced by newer buildings. Old structures need to be maintained as there is a lot of cultural history in the CID.
Light Rail Implications
This map shows a 0.25-mile buffer zone around the proposed CID South Station with all the permits and parcels that are within this zone. This is displayed because Sound Transit purchases properties around new light rail stations to build the new station and Puget Sound Sage wants to help Sound Transit choose Parcels with the least amount of impact on small businesses and residents.
Displaying parcels and permits around the proposed CID South Station helps visualize possible impacts on small businesses and residents in the CID. Displacement is a huge threat with the proposed CID South Station because Sound Transit has to buy properties around the new station location to build it. This means that businesses and residents that live nearby are possibly being displaced by this new station. Some new opportunities that come with the new light rail are that more people will be able to commute from more neighborhoods in the Greater Seattle Area.
Areas of High Activity
Note: This map serves to visualize the general areas of high activity as some parcel information may be missing.
The main threats of the proposal for the new CID South Station include the displacement of small businesses and residents. Looking at the heat map, there are areas with high land appraisals, near the new station which indicates that there are lots of properties there that provide a lot of value to the neighborhood. We recommend that Sound Transit buys property that has the least impact on CID residents and businesses. This means that displacement and economic impacts should be minimized by looking at properties with the least amount of use and talking to CID residents and representatives to come to an agreement on the changes that will happen to the neighborhood.
CID Areas of High Activity
Conclusion
The CID has a lot of cultural history that needs to be preserved by maintaining structures, buildings, and businesses that hold cultural significance. Small businesses and residents in the CID have had a long history of dealing with gentrification and displacement, so it is important for us to highlight possible impacts that the city and large corporations plan on changing in the CID. We recommend that the city focus on improvements to infrastructure that can support the existing community and identify the specific needs of the demographic.
Link to an interactive map with all layers: This map can be used to toggle layers