Juan Felipe Herrera was named the 21st United States Poet Laureate. He is the first Latino honored since the U.S. Consultant in Poetry program began in 1937. Herrera is a visiting professor in the Department of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. Read more from UW Today.
Vanessa Kritzer is the next student member of the UW Board of Regents. Kritzer is a native of Seattle and is pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree at the Evans School of Public Affairs. Her year-long appointment is effective July 1. Read more from UW Today.
The Seattle Times published an editorial asserting that the legislature should invest in the proposed computer science and engineering building expansion. Read the piece from the Seattle Times.
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a new King County initiative – Best Starts for Kids. The goal is to provide resources necessary to prevent negative outcomes in the community. The initiative focuses on early childhood development and incorporates recommendations and outcomes of research completed at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS). Learn more about the initiative here.
On Monday, the Seattle City Council approved a new Business Improvement Area (BIA) for the University District. Assessments collected from property owners in this new area will help pay for: cleaning and public safety; events and marketing; policy and advocacy; economic development; planning; and program management. The new BIA will also pay for expanded cleaning along the Ave from Campus Parkway to Ravenna Blvd.
Passage of this legislation is the culmination of four years of work with the community to identify ways to revitalize the University District. This work included several community conversations, development of a strategic plan and the establishment of a new organization called the University District Partnership. The Partnership will receive funding from the new BIA and be responsible for implementing the strategic plan which is aimed at revitalizing and cleaning-up the neighborhood.
In early discussions about revitalization, community members expressed an interest in having the University share the cost of these efforts with other property owners. The BIA structure provided the best way to set up this cost sharing, with approximately 47% of the assessments being paid by the University and the balance paid by area property owners. There is also a shared governance structure with board seats on both the University District Partnership and University District BIA being shared between the University and community members.
While passage of the new BIA is an important milestone and provides necessary funding to implement the community’s strategic plan, a lot of work remains to revitalize the District. If you have questions about these efforts or ideas to help, please feel free to contact any one of the UW University District Partnership Board Members – Rebecca Barnes, Theresa Doherty, Jeanette Henderson and Rob Lubin – or the Partnership’s Executive Director Elizabeth McCoury.