On February 21, Mayor Bruce Harrell delivered his 2023 State of the City address, recounting actions of his Administration’s focus on “core City government services” to reduce homelessness, improve public safety, and revitalize downtown.
The Mayor expressed strong optimism about the future of downtown, declaring, “[l]ook, I’m bullish on the future of downtown. Let me say it again: I am bullish on downtown.” The Mayor pointed to the 100,000 residents and 320,000 downtown jobs as evidence of its vitality. He also commended employers who are requiring their employees to return to downtown offices.
The Downtown Seattle Association echoed the Mayor’s upbeat outlook on downtown. “We share [the mayor’s] belief that we have the opportunity to create a new playbook for what a center city can become,” read a statement from the Downtown Seattle Association.
Harrell expressed optimism that his efforts to improve public safety are beginning to show results. In addition to working to hire more police officers, the Mayor discussed creating a new Civilian Assisted Response and Engagement Department to provide a non-police response to emergency calls.
In addition, the Mayor’s Office released a report on its first-year achievements, “Building One Seattle. Year One – 2022.”
