An Alternative Future for the North East Mission Industrial Zone

and thriving community that includes a broad
array of employment and housing opportunities in
close proximity to each other,” as long as it does
not result in conflict and constrain the viable functioning
of industrial businesses.
The city recognizes that to ensure economic prosperity
for the area, it must provide incentives for
businesses to locate and stay in target areas, and it
must encourage target industries to locate and
expand within industrial areas. Additionally, a
combination of public policy; long-term infrastructure
investment; excellent highway, rail, and
marine access; and the commitment of the area’s
business have helped the district to remain a vital
employment and commerce-generating location.
Seattle
“The city of Seattle adopted a comprehensive plan,
required by the state’s Growth Management Act,
to identify locations and strategies for the city to
accommodate expected growth over a 20-year period
(1994-2014).” Seattle’s approach to industrial
retention and area preservation utilizes zoning as
the principal tool for controlling allowed uses and
their sizes. Seattle prohibits almost all residential
uses in industrial zones except for artists’ studio
dwellings in existing buildings. A citywide change
for industrial zones (size-of-use limit on commercial
space) was implemented with the adoption of
this plan. Some of strategies applied included an
urban growth boundary and a consequent need to
ensure that adequate land existed within that
boundary to accommodate industrial retention
and growth. Most recently, in 1999, a neighborhood
plan for one of the City’s two manufacturing/industrial
centers was adopted with further
restrictions on the types and sizes of non-industrial
uses. City officials agree that if they had a chance
to implement the policy again, they would be
clearer about how the edges of industrial areas
should transition to surrounding uses. The city has
adopted a flexible policy to ensure the businesses
located in such protective zones are prosperous. A
clearinghouse was implemented to help small business
owners to find programs that offer economic
help. Finally, the city makes it possible to change
ineffective policies.
Mission Coalition for Economic Justice & Jobs
View of Guild’s Lake from rail yard
The 500,000 square foot Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog
distribution center in Seattle’s SoDo district has been
reconfigured for office and retail and is now known as
“Starbucks Center.”
IPZ Literature Review & Case Studies
III.21
An Alternative Future for the NEMIZ