News and Updates

I’m currently visiting the nation of Singapore as part of a delegation from the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce.  This is my first visit to this tiny island nation and it’s been a truly eye-opening experience on a number of fronts.

Born as a nation in 1965 after more than a century of British colonial rule, this city-state of less than 6 million people has rapidly become one of the most advanced nations in the world with architecture and infrastructure that is truly 21^st century and an economy based on global trade and knowledge-based industries committed to innovation.  It’s a place where research universities like the National University of Singapore work hand in hand with government and business to advance the industries of tomorrow.  From clean energy, to artificial intelligence to smart cities to biomedical research, Singapore is pulling together in the same direction and it’s quite astounding to see.

I’m well aware that democracy in Singapore does not flourish quite the same way it does in the U.S. or other western democracies and that dissent is not well-tolerated.  However, the amount of money that the government puts into “common good” needs like housing, mass transportation, parks and green spaces and health care is admirable and ensures that basic needs of citizens are well provided for.

Tonight we will have a reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence where I will have a chance to meet some of our UW alumni who live and work in Singapore.  We have more than 500 Huskies in the country and I’m anxious to meet them and learn more about this amazing place where innovation is happening everyday.

Fascinating monthly meeting of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce this week where we had presentations on several major construction projects that are both underway and being planned for the city and the region in the next 5 years or so.  Most of these initiatives are sorely needed as Seattle and Puget Sound continue to struggle with infrastructure that is too small or outdated to handle the rapid population growth we are currently experiencing.  Here’s a list of the updates we received this week on projects underway or in the pipeline:

• SeaTac Expansion. Our airport is the ninth busiest in the United States but woefully undersized compared to the current volume of traffic (more than 45 million passengers per year) and projections for the future (66 million in the next two decades).  Construction is already underway to expand the North Satellite facility and to construct a new international arrivals facility on the south portion of the airport.  Baggage handling and the central terminal are also being upgraded.  For more on Sea Tac Airport expansion, check out tomorrowatsea-tac.com.

• SR 99 Tunnel and Alaskan Way Viaduct. The long awaited state route 99 tunnel under Seattle is almost completed and that means that demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will occur sometime early in 2019.  To prepare for the relocation of the waterfront Alaskan Way arterial, the Viaduct is scheduled to be closed this fall for three weeks which will certainly result in some traffic challenges as cars and trucks look for alternate routes through the city.

• Waterfront Seattle Construction. Once the Viaduct is taken down, work can begin in earnest on the Waterfront where a massive park project is being planned that will reconnect the city to its historic waterfront.  The rebuilt Seawall was part of this effort but many other improvements are in the works from new bike and pedestrian trails, expansion of the Seattle Aquarium, creation of a floating dock at Piers 62 and 63 and much more.  Check out friendsofwaterfrontseattle.org for more information.

• Convention Center. Just this week the Seattle City Council voted to move forward on a massive expansion of the Washington State Convention Center – a 1.4 million square foot expansion that will double the size of the current Convention Center.  The project will be constructed at Ninth Avenue and Pine Street and will result in the closure of Convention Station driving buses out of the downtown tunnel above ground.  This will put more pressure on light rail as the best way to get to and through downtown Seattle and the UW is working with Metro and other transit partners to bring more buses from the Eastside to Husky Stadium where riders can use the light rail to get downtown instead of having the buses continue into the city.

Seems like a lot to go through doesn’t it?  And I haven’t even touched on Sound Transit 2 projects currently underway north of campus and east of the lake through I-90, and south to Federal Way.  To be sure, it’s going to be even harder getting around the city and the region in the next several years but there will be a payoff by 2023 and 2024 that should improve both mobility and livability in our fast growing metropolis.

Each year the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce takes a delegation of political, business, education and non profit leaders to visit another U.S. city to learn how they are growing their economy and addressing challenges all big cities face from transportation to homelessness.

This year I’m proud to be joining the Chamber’s intercity study mission to Denver — like Seattle a fast growing and vibrant city that is also dealing with the same issues Seattle is struggling with as a  result of their hot economy.

This morning we heard from a panel of business leaders about how they formed a regional economic development organization that works on behalf of nine counties in the Denver area — a true regional approach that the central Puget Sound cities and counties are just now working to create.

This afternoon we are visiting The Commons on Champa — a former police facility that now is an epicenter of Denver’s startup community.

Like Seattle too, Denver benefits from a strong higher education community anchored by the University of Colorado that has a strong presence in the city even though the main campus is located in nearby Boulder.

Our delegation wraps up our visit tomorrow afternoon.