Questions about your assessment?

A message
to our ratepayers

Downtown Seattle continues to recover post-pandemic, thanks to investments in cleaning, security, public events, community safety ambassadors, marketing and beautification made by Metropolitan Improvement District ratepayers like you! We are seeing increases in the number of visitors to the center city, hotels are filling up and locals are returning to arts, cultural and sporting events.

As chair of your MID Ratepayer Advisory Board, I help oversee the investment that downtown property owners make in services to support a safe, vibrant and welcoming downtown for visitors, workers and the 100,000-plus people now living in the center city. The MID was founded in 1999 by the Downtown Seattle Association through a city of Seattle ordinance, and DSA continues to serve as the program manager of the MID.

As we move into 2023, we are actively working to renew authorization of the MID, which was last reauthorized in 2013. We have spent the better part of 2022 gathering input from downtown property owners, other downtown stakeholders, residents and MID staff, all of which has informed our renewal efforts. We conducted an online survey, held meetings with residential, hotel and commercial property owners and held public meetings last summer and fall. Thanks to all of you who participated in one or more of those opportunities. 

In October, the Downtown Seattle Association Board of Directors and the MID Ratepayer Advisory Board voted unanimously to approve the new 10-year business plan. The plan lays out the services that will be provided over the next decade and an updated formula that will be used to assess properties. You can review the full plan, along with other key renewal materials at: downtownseattle.org/midrenewal. 

The next step is to collect signatures of property owners on renewal petitions. Those were distributed in November to owners of all properties within the district. If you did not receive yours or have questions, please email: midrenewal@downtownseattle.org. 

Once we have reached the necessary threshold of signatures, the process moves to the city of Seattle. Next spring, the Seattle City Council will review the renewal plan, and an ordinance to renew the MID. Following adoption by the Council, the ordinance will go before Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for his signature.

MID ratepayers are essential to ensuring downtown Seattle continues its recovery. Thank you for your ongoing support of and investment in a thriving city ready to compete with other top urban centers across the country.

To download the complete letter with additional MID renewal details, click here.