FOLLOWUP: See what local businesses consider their biggest challenges, and what’s being done to address them

Do you want to live in a neighborhood with thriving independent businesses? Take a few minutes to find out about what the businesses here now see as their biggest challenges. The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association did just that, to be able to share the information with you, with the help of a grant from the city Office of Economic Development. As part of the project, they convened a gathering of local businesspeople last fall:

(WSB photo, October 2017)

We covered it here. Since then, we’ve told you a bit about the project’s results, as described at recent meetings, including the Southwest District Council and the WSJA merchants. Now we have the official news release, from WSJA and WSCoC:

The challenges listed were:

“The goals of this project were to determine the key challenges that West Seattle businesses face, identify common threads between business nodes, and collect information on key resources available to the community. The results of the report gave us the forum to have impactful conversations with business owners.” said Lora Swift, Executive Director of WSJA. “Now our organizations (WSJA and WSCC) have a deeper understanding of the challenges in West Seattle, and how we can build a better business community by combining the strengths of our organizations.”

The qualitative study was done through 32 in-depth interviews primarily with small business owners in the seven business nodes (Alaska Junction, Morgan, Alki, Avalon, Admiral, 35th, Westwood Village) and a few community stakeholders, all located in West Seattle.

There were four recommendations from the report:

1) Market West Seattle to New Residents

2) Close Divide Between City of Seattle and West Seattle Businesses

3) Continue Hosting Solutions-Focused Programming

4) Get Involved in West Seattle Mural Project

Selected quotes from interviews:

“We fell in love with this place. After looking all over the city, we decided that unless we could live and work in West Seattle, we weren’t going to move [to Seattle].”
-Small business owner on Alki

“Parking is the biggest challenge. My business depends on people getting in and out quickly. Lack of parking would drive us out of the Junction.” -Small business owner in the Junction

“I feel that the Seattle City Council sees business as an adversary and a checkbook.” -Business owner in Alki

“We feel helpless at times. We hope it will get better, but it’s exhausting.” -Small business owner in the Alaska Junction

“That’s my biggest fear, that people will move in and turn West Seattle into a bedroom community for downtown.” -Small business owner in the Junction

“The new minimum wage is killing the restaurant business.” -Restaurant owner on Alki

“Well, do we go back to dumpster diving for packing materials? Would we do that for our employees to have health insurance? I guess we would.” -Retail business owner in Avalon

“I don’t feel like the city cares about small business. They care about Trader Joe’s. We’re just a blink.” -Small business owner in the Alaska Junction

“The partnership of the WS Junction Association and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce allows two organizations, each with a small professional staff, to make a positive impact on the business community. Using this information, we are moving forward. Immediately after the study, an application was completed and a 2018 grant from the Office of Economic Development gives us seed money for a pilot program marketing West Seattle to new residents,” said Lynn Dennis, CEO, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

Part of the results were geared toward a way to connect all of the West Seattle resources together in a living website. The website would focus on gathering resources around West Seattle that could be referenced by both business and citizens. The result was the new West Seattle Resource Roundup site that ties together nonprofits, media, city and neighborhood groups.

wsresourceroundup.com

*************

The Junction is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that was developed to pay for the parking lots in the Junction. The Junction Association merchants produce many community events throughout the year including Art Walk (year-round 2nd Thursdays), Summer Fest (July), West Seattle Outdoor Movies (July-August) Harvest Festival (October), and Hometown Holidays (December). In addition, the Junction Association merchants pay to keep the streets of the Junction safe & clean, plus we fund the 95 flower baskets that beautify the Junction from May through September.

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) that has served as the leading advocate for the West Seattle business community since 1923. A volunteer-based group of businesses and individuals takes advantage of benefits including networking opportunities, educational programs and a unified voice in governmental affairs that impact our business environment. The Chamber focuses on the sustainable economic growth of a diverse, viable business community on the West Seattle peninsula.

You can read the full report resulting from the project by going here.

23 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: See what local businesses consider their biggest challenges, and what's being done to address them"

  • MAN UP April 8, 2018 (4:53 pm)

    Some of the comments from businesses are just absurd.

    “The new minimum wage is killing the restaurant business.” -Restaurant owner on Alki

    Which cities have higher minimum wage?  Well, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC,  Los Angeles…  Food deserts all of them!  Increasing the minimum wage does not kill restaurant culture.  If your restaurant goes out of business because of a change to the minimum wage then, sorry, you did not have a very good business.  That’s a fact.

    This town is changing.  It’s changing into a City.  City with a capital C.  That’s not easy, and it’s sometimes hard.  But you remember what it was like to be a teenager?  That’s what Seattle is at the moment.  Awkward, unsure, gangly.  No longer a big town, almost a real city.  There will be growing pains–businesses, especially in West Seattle, will have to step it up.  Being able to run a business in the Junction and be closed on a Sunday morning (SO much foot traffic!)–probably not going to be possible.  So step it up.  Have better hours.  Have better service.  Make the money that is out there.  Like it or not, you are in a different world now–adapt or fail.

    Always remember–there are (real) cities that have less parking, higher minimum wage, and they have businesses that absolutely thrive.

    So buck up and buckle down.  The times they are a changing.

     

    • Ann Dimond April 8, 2018 (11:29 pm)

      Wow!  That is aggressive!  Glad we are leaving our beloved home for almost 30 years next month.  Good luck to you!

    • Katie April 9, 2018 (6:37 am)

      I will say though that cities that thrive without parking have far better public transportation than Seattle. It’s actually easier to not have a car in, say, Chicago, than to deal with the hassle of a car there. With the train, you can get anywhere quickly in 30 minutes or less. That’s not true here. Hopefully it will get that way. 

      • Buses or bust April 9, 2018 (8:23 am)

        Yes, but it’s a bit of a chicken and egg problem.  When we speak of the need for better public transit a common argument against is “Oh, but we really don’t need it in West Seattle, it’s so easy to drive and park everywhere.”

        A lot of the real catalyst for better transit happens when the alternatives to transit (most notably driving) are rendered less attractive.  

        In actual cities, cities where everyone, regardless of age/class/etc, rides public transit, they do it not because they prefer it per se, but rather because the alternative (driving) simply isn’t feasible–too slow, too costly.  So here in the pre-boom West Seattle it’s very difficult to have a conversation with most people about taking public transit simply because the alternative is too easy.  I mean, I’ve seen discussion threads where people straight up say “Gosh, I’d NEVER take my mother [or son or wife or what have you] on a bus!”  Sorry for the tangent–I guess in sum I think removing parking (which will happen naturally with increasing population) will help lead to better public transportation.  It’s a 2-way street.

  • gh April 8, 2018 (4:55 pm)

    Yes, the City Council hates business and cars (parking); West Seattle should opt out…

    • Yeah, no April 8, 2018 (5:31 pm)

      GH,

      Opt out of what?

      What on earth makes you think a city council (any city council!)  hates business?  What would hating business even accomplish?

  • Don Brubeck April 8, 2018 (7:55 pm)

    I wonder why car parking is the number one concern. Perhaps the merchants should look at how their customers actually arrive. As reported in the WS Blog,

    “About half of surveyed West Seattle Junction customer/visitors
    arrive by personal vehicle with the balance arriving primarily by
    walking or transit.

    “Visitors who walk/bike reported visiting the Junction most frequently while drivers visited the least frequently.”*

    Their most frequent customers are not using the street parking or the parking lots that the merchants association pays for. The merchants pass the parking subsidy cost on to all their customers, not just the ones who need car parking. All those customers coming on foot, on bikes, and on buses subsidize the minority who drive and park. Those higher costs may discourage their best customers.

    *SDOT West Seattle Junction Parking Access Study, 2017

    • jack April 9, 2018 (5:27 am)

      Don, not sure what your saying.  Get rid of the parking and lose half of your business?  Customers who drive may be coming different parts of the city (one or two bus transfers away) who wouldn’t bother otherwise and become repeat patrons.  Sure people who walk/bike will be frequent customers because they don’t travel far.  Their not going to bike to Ray’s Boathouse in Ballard for dinner and bike back.  As far as the bus, who wants to wait on 1st Ave downtown at night for the West Seattle transfer?

      I love the Junction, but it’s not my be all, end all of places to go just because I can walk there, I like the whole city.

    • Katie April 9, 2018 (6:40 am)

      Well obviously people within easy walking distance of a business will be more likely to frequent it. That’s just reality. And half of your customers isn’t a small consideration. It’s a huge consideration. 

  • West Seattle since 1979 April 8, 2018 (8:54 pm)

    That’s my biggest fear, that people will move in and turn West Seattle into a bedroom community for downtown.” -Small business owner in the Junction

    I don’t get it. They don’t want people moving in? Then where will they get new customers? Don’t they want new customers? And West Seattle has always been kind of a bedroom community for other parts of town, because we don’t have a lot of large employers here. 

    • ditto April 8, 2018 (10:24 pm)

      Yeah, I thought the same thing when I read that.  It was just such a weird statement to make!

    • Katie April 9, 2018 (6:42 am)

      Did you not read the sentence?  Or did you not know what “bedroom community” means?  They’re worried about people “moving in” who have no interest in patronizing local business. Basically people who sleep in WS and do everything else downtown. 

      • still an odd worry April 9, 2018 (7:38 am)

        Why are they worried about this?  Why do they think the new people to West Seattle are going to be less likely to use local businesses?  I just don’t get it.  Like you pointed out earlier, “Well obviously people within easy walking distance of a business will be more likely to frequent it. That’s just reality.”

        I mean, I agree–that’s just what people do.  So if there are good restaurants in West Seattle, or good bookshops, why on earth would people live here and never frequent local businesses?  It just seems such an unusual worry to have.

      • West Seattle since 1979 April 9, 2018 (8:21 am)

        To me, the term means the place where you live, which could also mean where you do a lot of your business, since presumably you won’t be at work downtown all the time. It’s a lot more convenient to do errands and buy stuff near where you live on the weekends or when not working, as long as stuff is available.  

        That’s what West Seattle has always been, and new people moving in will probably still do business in West Seattle in their leisure time, because it’s closer. Unless they buy it online, which I’m sure is the biggest worry for business owners. And people who live here already do that. 

        • Katie April 9, 2018 (11:25 am)

          Since the business owners have been living the reality of population growth in WS for a long time, it’s not like they don’t have any frame of reference to raise this as a concern. 

          • West Seattle since 1979 April 9, 2018 (12:33 pm)

            If people are going out of their way by going downtown on weekends to shop or even to restaurants, it might be because they want things that aren’t available in West Seattle. 

  • Gene April 8, 2018 (10:27 pm)

    Well I want to thank all those bikers walkers & transit riders -who I gather  make up the majority  of the junctions customers— & keeping these merchants in business for drivers like me. I drive to – park & shop in the junction at least 3 times a week- maybe more- so I am very grateful to you all!

    I hope the merchants who expressed concerns about parking are relieved to know that drivers are not needed to keep them in business.  According to this survey- it’s the bikers walkers & transit riders- no need to worry.

  • MJ April 8, 2018 (10:38 pm)

    As a small business owner my fear is the City’s insatiable appetite for more money, aka taxes, fees et al, the constant barrage of more regulations and what happens in the next recession!  

  • Don Brubeck April 9, 2018 (7:43 am)

    @Jack, @Gene, I am not suggesting that anyone get rid of the car parking. I use it, too, sometimes, and appreciate it. But I am asking why so much focus on that as an issue, when the growing customer base are those who live nearby and walk or ride a bike, and those who come by bus? Why not charge the cost of parking to only those who use it? User fees would increase turnover and incentivize those who have a choice of other options to avoid driving whenever they can. It would make more parking available for those who need to drive. 

    Thank you Katie for pointing out that bikes are good for local business.

    • Jack April 9, 2018 (9:16 am)

      Well, 50% of your business is still 50% of your business.  Yes, The Junction is growing and a lot more people are moving in and so are newer stores, shops and restaurants.  If or when Whole Foods opens there will be 4 grocery stores in almost a square block.  Then there’s Traded Joe’s.  These new places will spread out the customer base.  The Junction I think just wants to be customer friendly.  Keep the old ones and welcome the new.  People drive from all over West Seattle to visit The Junction and buy things that are not practical to put on a bus or bike.  The free parking already has a time limit for turn over, but if go there on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s not enough.  If someday the population up there could keep all businesses afloat, then build on the parking areas, but you would lose a lot of W.S. customers.

  • anon April 9, 2018 (12:59 pm)

    Who’s buying and who’s visiting? That’s really the question. Perhaps the drivers are buying and hence why they drive. 

  • scubafrog April 9, 2018 (3:46 pm)

    That’s sad about the quote from the restaurant owner on Alki, voicing disdain for the minimum wage.  I’ll be boycotting all restaurants on Alki, and eating from above, that’s disgusting to hear.  “Livable wages won’t make me rich, waaaaaaah!  Why do my employees have to eat?”…

    Otherwise, I agree with the business owners.  The City Council is anti-small business, and anti-car/parking (all with the exception of Lisa Herbold).

    West Seattle should opt out of the Seattle City Council, and create a West Seattle City Council, I agree with the poster above.  West Seattle and Seattle main are completely different entities in all respects, requiring differing approaches to governance.

  • Rick April 11, 2018 (9:19 pm)

    West Seattle has twice floated the idea of seceding from the city twice in my business tenure here. With the current council/mayor I still don’t think it’s a bad idea.

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