As one of the busiest Starbucks in the city center temporarily closes its doors due to safety concerns, prominent members of the Seattle business community are speaking out forcefully and publicly about the ongoing crime and homelessness crises. They’re taking aim at King County Executive Dow Constantine.
“Why do we continue to tolerate these open-air drug markets downtown at Third & Pike/Pine and Third & James/Yesler?” Patrick Foley, co-founder and managing partner of Lake Union Partners, wrote on LinkedIn before taking on Constantine.
“This man knowingly kept his downtown jail staff at COVID levels (roughly 50% capacity), not out of necessity, but because he believed that people who openly sell and consume fentanyl, pass out on sidewalks, break windows, start fires, use the streets as toilets, and steal from stores like Target and Nordstrom have no place in prison or some form of forced labor,” he wrote.
Constantine is not allowing the King County jail to accept most criminal records. With the jail in the midst of a staffing crisis, King County Corrections Guild President Dennis Folk told KTTH’s “The Jason Rantz Show” that Constantine is “intentionally” keeping staffing low for ideological reasons. Constantine is also trying to permanently close the King County youth detention center.
Foley wasn’t the only one speaking out at Lake Union Partners. Investment Manager Jeffery Judson-Baker at the same firm also criticized Constantine for the chaos in downtown Seattle.
“Our misplaced compassion for the homeless has turned into neglect, leaving addicts rotting on doorsteps and the mentally ill suffering on the streets,” Judson-Baker wrote on LinkedIn. “The political indifference typified by leaders like Dow Constantine is making these problems worse. We need more than empty promises and half-measures; we need decisive action to treat the homeless, clean up our streets, and restore Seattle’s health.”
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What role did safety concerns play in the downtown Starbucks closure?
Starbucks has closed the doors to its location at the entrance to Pike Place Market. The closure was unannounced and the store’s signs have been removed and windows boarded up.
A Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement that the store will remain closed “while we evaluate how best to provide a warm and inviting environment for customers and associates in this store.” Closing a store in the middle of the busy summer tourist season speaks to the severity of the problem, with Seattle becoming the latest victim of the crime and homelessness crisis.
The city centre is experiencing rising crime rates, largely due to the homelessness crisis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Seattle’s downtown has been overrun by homeless, criminalized addicts. Police have been defunded and the rest of the department has been denied the ability to enforce the law. Democrats have decriminalized drug use, and fentanyl smuggled across our porous border with Mexico has flooded Seattle streets. Utilities have allowed encampments to proliferate. Crime associated with homeless addicts has turned Seattle’s downtown into a living hell.
We saw improvement after Harrell made the area a priority, especially on Third Street between Pike and Pine, after a few major crimes, but now the area is returning to its former bad state.
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‘It’s embarrassing to walk in the city centre… it’s like the apocalypse’
Downtown Seattle has witnessed a number of notable stories lately about businesses exiting the neighborhood.
Lululemon, Fox’s Seattle jeweler, PCC Community Markets flagship store and the North Face have all closed their doors amid a crime and homelessness crisis that has hindered the post-COVID economic recovery in the city center. Foot traffic for businesses has come to a screeching halt as homeless addicts lie unconscious on sidewalks and in front of storefronts.
“It’s a shame to walk downtown. The drug addiction and mental health crises are so obvious,” Judson-Baker wrote in an open letter. “When I get off the light rail near my home in Pioneer Square or Westlake Center, I see drug addicts doubled up and manic episodes untreated. Passengers step over needles, trash, and human waste. Many favorite restaurants and shops are still boarded up. Downtown Seattle, once vibrant, can sometimes feel like a wasteland.”
Judson-Baker also worries that the reality of downtown Seattle will deter tourists from coming back.
“Walking down Third and Pike at night feels like the apocalypse. We’re playing a dangerous game of chicken to lose $800 million in tourism tax revenue,” he said.
Are accent districts coming to downtown Seattle?
With the support of a more supportive city council thanks to the leadership of Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson, the Seattle City Attorney announced last week that he wants to implement a Stay Out of Drug Area (SODA) ordinance. Ann Davison’s ordinance hopes to reduce drug-related crime activity in downtown Seattle by prohibiting drug-related offenders from entering the area after they have been arrested and released pretrial. Additionally, Mayor Harrell is implementing stress patrols and moving to housing inmates at the SCORE jail in Des Moines, as first reported by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH in May.
Progressive activists have long opposed the use of police and camp sweeps to address crises in downtown Seattle, advocating a “compassionate” approach by connecting homeless addicts with services. But it’s been a failed policy because it allows homeless addicts to say no to offers without fear of repercussions.
“Compassion should not excuse neglect. It is shameful to see our ‘compassion’ for the homeless as they get off the light rail, and it highlights political inaction disguised as empathy,” Judson-Baker said. “Allowing addicts to languish in doorways and the mentally ill to suffer on the streets is not compassion. We need urgent action for the health of our city. Addicts need treatment. Clean up our streets for economic recovery, thriving small businesses, tourism and economic longevity. It is time to throw our complacency out the window and do something.”
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Ignoring crime and homelessness problems while Seattle dies
One reason why the troubles in downtown Seattle continue is the reluctance of some in the local media to report honestly what is happening.
Reports in The Seattle Times in June painted a bleak picture of the commercial and residential real estate markets in downtown Seattle. One article noted surprisingly low price tags for previously expensive commercial buildings, such as the nearly vacant Pacific Place Mall and the Downtown Hilton. A second article noted that the price of homes in the city center was trending lower than citywide costs.
Meanwhile, housing prices in downtown Seattle have plummeted, falling below the citywide average for the first time in nearly a decade. Downtown housing was once a popular commodity because of the walkability to work, retail, and entertainment. Rising prices reflected high demand. That’s no longer the case.
But while reports suggest COVID is rooted in the economic realities of downtown Seattle, homelessness and crime, as Judson-Baker notes in her letter, are never mentioned once.
“Small businesses define Seattle, some growing into giants that define our skyline. Now, we watch as a lack of public health and safety drives them out. Losing employers means losing tax revenue, which undermines public safety, health, education, and affordable housing, perpetuating a vicious cycle as residents continue to lose,” he wrote.
Businesses are closing en masse due to crime and homelessness in Seattle
In the wake of high-profile downtown business closures and buildings being sold at deep discounts, we’ve seen an unusual uptick in business owners speaking out. Normally, they lobby behind the scenes through the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA). But the situation has gotten so bad that business leaders are willing to put public pressure on politicians to see progress.
“How many more downtown businesses need to close or relocate before the person in charge of the jail, Dow Constantine, is removed? How did this guy get a pass all these years? He did absolutely nothing while residents + small and large business owners paid a huge price,” wrote Foley, co-founder of Lake Union Partners.
Constantine will not be running for re-election. However, there is concern that Girmay Zahilay, a far-left King County Council member with similar abolitionist views to Constantine, will run for the Executive position. He will likely face moderate John Wilson, the current county Assessor.
The decline of Seattle’s downtown is a testament to the failed policies and negligence of leaders like Dow Constantine. It’s time for decisive action to restore safety and vitality to our city. The outcry from the business community should be a wake-up call to all Seattle leaders. But will it?
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