SEATTLE — A local organization is asking Central District residents to help shape the future of a property along Yesler Way, with plans that could bring new affordable housing and commercial space to the neighborhood.
Africatown Community Land Trust is gathering community input as it looks to redevelop the site that is currently home to the Benu Community Home, a men’s shelter.
According to Africatown, plans call for affordable housing with commercial space on the ground floor, but the details of what else could be included in the development are still being determined.
“We know that affordability, particularly with housing, is one of the biggest challenges that the city is facing in Seattle,” said Wyking Garrett, president and CEO of Africatown Community Land Trust.
The organization is holding a series of “Yesler Design Days,” giving people who live in the area an opportunity to weigh in on what they want to see included in the project.
Garrett said the goal is to add to Seattle’s future while helping ensure the Black community, which he said has called the city home for more than 140 years, remains part of that future and can preserve its culture.
The project is also part of a larger vision for the Yesler Cultural Corridor. Africatown Community Land Trust says the corridor could connect more than 30 legacy businesses and landmarks along Yesler tied to Black history and the arts, including the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center.
Garrett said an anchor development on Yesler could help better connect those existing community assets, similar to Africatown’s work around 23rd Avenue and Union Street.
As part of the community input process, residents have expressed interest in healthier food access, after-school programming for teens, child care options, additional parking and housing, according to Africatown Community Land Trust.
Garrett said the organization has also heard a need for more housing that can accommodate families.
“We heard pretty loudly from the community that there was a need for more family-size units, and for amenities to support families in terms of child care,” Garrett said.
The project comes as local leaders consider additional investments in affordable housing and shelter.
In September, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay proposed a $746 million supplemental budget to the King County Council that included investments in new affordable housing and shelter.
Central District residents will have another opportunity to weigh in during the next Yesler Design Day on Oct. 29.