Our Work

Current Initiatives

Seattle Center Arena

The City of Seattle and Oak View Group (OVG) negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to redevelop KeyArena into a world-class arena, ready for professional hockey, basketball, and music. This project includes a new entry atrium, below grade expansion for additional seating and circulation, a below grade loading dock, vehicular tunnel and parking for up to 400 vehicles to be provided below grade.

Youth Employment

Compared to the City of Seattle's overall unemployment rate of 4.8%, Seattle youth ages 16-19 have an unemployment rate of 21%, and youth ages 20-24 hover around 10%. Seattle youth are missing out on vital work experience and income while employers are missing out on cultivating a future workforce. Summer job programs provide skills necessary for young people who otherwise would be left out of the labor market. First work experiences that teach professionalism, work readiness, and 21st century skills are critical in providing young people with a pathway to success and upward mobility. Youth employment has positive effects on lifetime employment, earnings and net worth.

Commercial Affordability

The current period of rapid economic growth threatens to displace small businesses unless the City takes action to help resolve the problem. In April 2016 Mayor Ed Murray formed a Commercial Affordability Advisory Committee to evaluate the complex issues and recommend solutions in support of commercial affordability. On September 28, 2016 Mayor Murray presented the committee's recommendations and shared his Commercial Affordability Action Plan.

TechHire

The Seattle region was designated a TechHire community in 2016, aiming to fill the growing number of open tech jobs. This initiative for underemployed adults convenes employers, educators and workforce partners to provide accelerated training, internship and employment opportunities in the technology sector by aligning employers with training providers like Ada Developers Academy, a software development training for women; Unloop, training for people who have been in prison to succeed in careers in tech; and Floodgate Academy, a developer operations training focused on underrepresented communities. Learn more at seattle.gov/techhire.

Economic Development

Markham McIntyre, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 5752, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94708, Seattle, WA, 98124-4708
Phone: (206) 684-8090
Phone Alt: (206) 684-0379
Fax: (206) 684-0379
oed@seattle.gov

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The mission of the Office of Economic Development (OED) is to help create healthy businesses, thriving neighborhoods, and community organizations to contribute to a robust economy that will benefit all Seattle residents and future generations.