What does the Coalition want?

First and foremost, we want a project that works for everyone : the developer, Goodwill, the surrounding neighborhoods and the city as a whole. We want to protect the integrity of Little Saigon. We want what anyone would want for their community - a project that is in scale and character to their neighborhood. We want a project that is consistent with City’s Comprehensive plan and our neighborhood plans. We want a project that Seattle can be proud of. We want smart, green, sustainable urban development. We want healthy neighborhoods - and we want a project that is healthy for our neighborhoods. We want written agreements with the developer (because too often promises aren’t kept). We want development that is thoroughly checked and mitigated, not one that is rubber stamped by the City. We want a project that follows the rules to prevent precedents being set that will make other neighborhoods have to go through what we are going through.

What we want is possible. Find out more here.

What’s wrong with the current proposal?

The current proposal is for a super-regional shopping center. What’s wrong with that? We thought you’d never ask.

Why is all this taking so long?

The project requires spot rezoning of the site and a street vacation (click here to find out what these and other City processes are). Both of these are long and involved processes. They are further complicated because the developer has put forward a proposal that has met with significant neighborhood and community opposition - as well as significant concern from the City. Had the developer worked with the community earlier in the process and recognized the importance of existing neighborhood and City planning, the project proposal would be better and would meet with less opposition. Unfortunately the developer’s vision for the site (big box formula retail, in buildings that don’t relate to the International District) is drastically different than the communities’ vision for the site. Resolving these differences has been a protracted process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here you will find some answers to frequently asked questions.