Seattle proposes new bills to cut red tape, revive vacant storefronts

To bring more life back into some of Seattle’s vacant storefronts, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson have introduced two bills aimed at making it easier for small businesses to move into long-empty spaces.

The proposals aim to exempt smaller buildings, those 7,000 square feet or less, from expensive renovation requirements mandated by the city’s building code, according to The Center Square.

If passed by the Seattle City Council, the changes would revise the 2021 Seattle Existing Building Code and remove fire, life safety, and structural requirements for reopening. Officials said the move could reactivate over 50 unused storefronts by the year 2030.

Any current revocation considered a “substantial alteration” under the code triggers compliance with modern safety and ventilation standards that can be expensive and time-consuming.

Data acquired by The Center Square showed that around 180 such permits were issued over the past eight years. With the new exemption, almost half would not have needed a substantial alteration permit.

The proposed changes support Harrell’s 2024 executive order creating the Permitting and Customer Trust (PACT) Team, which is working to simplify city permitting.

Earlier, in May 2024, the mayor signed two bills into law that expanded allowable uses for street-level spaces and extended deadlines for stalled housing developments.

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