[] RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF A PANDEMIC ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER SQUARE 2020-2021 COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE PLAN
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
Letter from the Director In February 2020, the Alliance had just completed Your Pioneer Square: 2025 Strategic Plan, which was the culmination of seven months of planning and community engagement. This plan was to direct the Alliance’s focus for the next five years as the neighborhood navigates large-scale infrastructure projects and responds to everyday challenges. As we made preparations to release the plan to the public, our world was hit with a pandemic, and forced changes to our neighborhood landscape that we could not have imagined. Businesses closed, some temporarily, and some permanently. Office workers were instructed to begin working from home for an indefinite amount of time. Events and gatherings were cancelled and tourism ground to a halt. The Alliance postponed the release of the strategic plan as we focused on an immediate response to these drastic changes. The 2020/2021 Pioneer Square Recovery Plan is meant to tell the story of what we have done, what we are doing, and what we plan to do for the 18 month period immediately following the pandemic shut down. It is also meant to be responsive to changing circumstances that we may not yet see coming. Alongside this shift to directly responding to the pandemic, we recognize the importance of the national conversations about race, social justice, and equity. In addition to shifting our programming to meet the needs of neighborhood recovery, we will be pursuing an outcomes-based equity training for the Alliance and BIA Boards as well as staff. We hope to uncover ways to move forward in building a more equitable and just neighborhood and business environment as we recover from the pandemic. We believe the spirit of Pioneer Square is built upon ingenuity and resilience in the face of great challenges. Our commitment remains the same: to serve the myriad of stakeholders and needs of our neighborhood by ensuring all feel welcome and all voices are heard.
Lisa Dixon Howard Executive Director
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
Seattle Comes to a Grinding Halt March 2020 – Introduction of stay home orders to beginning of Phase II Safe Start Washington phased reopening plan Provided immediate technical assistance, information sharing, and support programs to businesses and the neighborhood as the pandemic spread and shut down orders were put in place.
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • Connected over 150 businesses with appropriate funding sources, technical assistance, and community support • Launched and funded a Small Business Support Program to provide $175,000 in direct monetary assistance to small businesses • Assisted businesses in navigating rent relief options, landlord discussions, and new City legislation for eviction moratoriums • Introduced a Business Climate surveying programming to assess time-in-point business needs • Launched a Pride and Resilience steering committee focused on shaping direction on short and medium term recovery strategies
MARKETING/COMMUNICATION • Built out and populated the Pioneer Square - Support Local marketplace, which hosts over 90 businesses to sell products and gift cards online • Introduced the Support PSQ marketing campaign, which had over 4,000,000 impressions on various social media sites directing customers to shop their favorite local businesses through the PSQ online marketplace • Increased communication to weekly emails with COVID-related resources, financial supports, and public safety information for businesses • Launched Pioneer Square Monthly, a virtual forum to directly share information and resources to businesses and gather feedback about their current pressing needs
PUBLIC REALM • Coordinated and secured funding with partners for 33 murals on boarded up businesses to help beautify the neighborhood while employing Pioneer Square artists • Tracked and disseminated the ever-changing schedules of private and public construction during various shut-down orders, and advocated for right-timed pauses and advances
ADVOCACY • Persistently advocated for a continued level of public safety for the neighborhood as businesses initially closed and then began to reopen • Worked with Seattle Department of Transportation on deploying food pick-up priority zones • Supported expediting different types of street closure permits for businesses to vend or serve outside • Participated in weekly information sharing sessions with other Business Improvement Areas within Seattle and select Council Members to strengthen our collective efforts with the City
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
Discovery, Planning & Activation Phases II and III of Safe Start Washington Phased Reopening Plan Assist businesses as they adapt for success during the pandemic, ensure a safe and welcoming district for neighbors and visitors, focus on drawing new target markets, and rapidly adjust programming to new guidelines
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • Produce and distribute a “Welcome Back Kit” for businesses to assist in adhering to public health guidelines • Focus on relationships with property owners and managers to support the changing tenant landscape • Provide relevant technical assistance trainings to businesses on operating during uncertain times • Track vacant ground floor commercial spaces • Assess current ground-floor market and begin creating retail recruitment strategy
MARKETING/COMMUNICATION • Promote Pioneer Square as a local arts and cultural tourism destination to regional visitors for a safe alternative to lengthy travel • Advertise Pioneer Square as a West Coast travel destination to two major Seattle tourism feeder markets • Design passport program to be used for multiple short and longterm promotions and online events • Create an access campaign for those navigating Pioneer Square for safe brick and mortar shopping • Launch a community building campaign to harness and further strengthen community pride in Pioneer Square
PUBLIC REALM • Support a welcoming neighborhood through increased attention on graffiti, illegal dumping, and general appearance of the district • Assist businesses in applying for various new street-use permits • Work with a neighborhood stakeholder group to enhance alley lighting through coordinated matching investments • Continue to invest in unique passive experiences and beautification efforts in the public realm to draw people to the neighborhood • Relaunch the Northeast Pioneer Square Framework process to identify key agency and neighborhood stakeholders, tie together current planning efforts, and develop a shared vision
ADVOCACY • Work with the City and service providers for neighborhood focused solutions to public safety issues • Advocate for neighborhood-based process for Sound Transit 3 project with other neighborhood partners • Continue pushing for funding to address infrastructure improvements to areaways
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
Implementing a vision for recovery Phase IV of Safe Start Washington Phased Reopening Plan to Post-Covid Advance district economic vitality and diversity, build upon community connection and resiliency, and advocate for fixes to systemic issues the pandemic exposed
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • Activate retail recruitment efforts in alignment with long term strategy • Build out cross-business connections for promotions and collaboration
MARKETING/COMMUNICATION • Integrate new markets identified during COVID into existing markets of tourists, upper-floor businesses, and stadium event attendees • Promote Pioneer Square as an Arts & Cultural district to draw larger audience • Continue to develop the narrative of Pioneer Square as a welcoming destination for all
PUBLIC REALM • Foster reconnection with the Chinatown-International District & the Waterfront through the Jackson Hub and Pioneer Square East/West Connections projects • Build upon property owner and manager connections from Business Development work to address vacant, dilapidated, and underused buildings
ADVOCACY • Advocate for public restrooms throughout the district • Develop plan to promote increased residential development to further support a healthy and balanced district
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS STAFF Lisa Dixon Howard, Executive Director Jessa Timmer, Deputy Director Karen True, Economic Development Director Chris Woodward, Business Development Director Sara Pizzo, Public Realm Manager Thembela Mavuso, Marketing Manager Nikki Somers, Office Manager Designed by TCi Design + Branding
ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN
2025 STRATEGIC PLAN February 2020
RESPONSE PLAN October 2020
www.allianceforpioneersquare.org