💰 Seattle Center needs money

Seattle Center Proposes Bond for More Than $1B

Seattle Center is in need of a major overhaul — as we’ve previously covered on the podcast 🎧. And the funding proposal to bring the aging campus into the future has grown. Rob Johnson, executive director of the Seattle Center Foundation, is advocating for a bond measure on this fall’s ballot that would raise between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion. [Seattle Times]

• What Would This Bond Cover? Seattle Center is in need of $500 million in maintenance, including for its HVAC and utility systems, roofing, elevators, and improved accessibility. Funds would also go toward modernizing facilities like the Armory building and monorail station.
• A Package Deal: Because many of our city’s iconic venues are facing the same deferred maintenance issues, Johnson is also proposing expanding the scope of recipients to potentially include Benaroya Hall, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, The 5th Avenue Theatre (whose layoffs and fundraiser we talked about last week 🎧) as well as the Paramount and the nearly century-old Green Lake Bathhouse.
• What’s Next? Initially, Johnson was considering a property tax levy, but Seattle is approaching the legal limit for how much it can ask of voters in property taxes. Bonds do not count toward the city’s tax limit. Before voters can decide if they’ll approve the bond, which would still ultimately result in an increase in property taxes, Mayor Wilson and the city council will have to approve it. That could happen as soon as this summer. [Seattle Times]

Blazing Bagels Shuts Down Stores Without Warning 🛑

On Thursday morning last week, employees at four of Blazing Bagel’s locations received emails informing them that the company was closing due to bankruptcy. The sudden closures came as a surprise because the company had recently made new hires and upgrades. Blazing Bagels has operated throughout the region since 2001, and has locations in SODO and the University District, as well as Redmond and Bellevue. About 16 people in Seattle shops are now out of work. Thankfully, we still have many bagel spots to choose from. [KING 5]

New WA Law Eases State Distribution of Abortion Pill Stockpile 🩺

Earlier this year, Washington had to return 30,000 expiring doses from its abortion pill stockpile to the manufacturer. Then-Gov. Jay Inslee had authorized the purchase in case the drug was no longer available due to restrictions from the federal government. A new state law ensures the remaining pills from additional purchases are easier to access and use. The state can provide Mifepristone to qualified clinics and prescribers, and the new law allows this to be done cost-free. The newly approved state budget also restores $8.5 million in funding cut last year to the state’s Abortion Access Project. [Washington State Standard]

Mayor Wilson Puts Pause on City’s Rollout of Internal AI Tool 🤖

Despite former-mayor Bruce Harrell’s declaration that “Seattle will use AI,” Mayor Wilson has paused a citywide rollout of an AI tool for workers called Microsoft CoPilot. The tool was offered to 500 employees last year as part of a pilot program. The pilot was meant to offer an approved program in place of the unsanctioned use of ChatGPT by city workers due to concerns about private information being uploaded to the platform, as well as issues around compliance with public disclosure laws. However, Wilson’s team wants to take a closer look at the implications of the program and says there’s no immediate timeline for if and when the program will be used again. [Seattle Times]