Since 2015, the number of parked RVs located within the Sodo and Ballard neighborhoods of Seattle has increased dramatically, now totaling hundreds. Many of these RV owners fail to follow proper waste-disposal protocols, instead discharging their accumulated sewer wastes, including “black water,” directly into the city storm drains. The result is that untreated sewage is being released directly into our local waterways. To better understand the potential impact of RV discharges, the Sodo Business Improvement …

Nine months ago the SODO BIA and other Seattle neighborhood business districts commissioned the System Failure report that demonstrated how a substantial portion of high-impact criminal activity in Seattle’s busiest neighborhoods is committed by repeat offenders. The report focused on an initial sample of 100 prolific offenders and how the current criminal justice system has failed to meaningfully respond to or change their behaviors. In the months that followed, Seattle and King County leaders, criminal justice stakeholders …

Last October we held a public safety forum in SODO at which our members were able to provide city and county leaders with information about the impact of crime and public disorder on our businesses, customers, and employees. From information provided at the forum we commissioned the report “System Failure – Report on Prolific Offenders in Seattle’s Criminal Justice System”. What we found was that a significant portion of the criminal activity in our communities …

A series of set fires occurred in the SODO neighborhood beginning late in the evening on March 24 and continuing through the early morning hours of March 25. A dumpster receptacle, garbage bin, construction materials and two forklifts were damaged from the fires. Combustibles next to a building were set in two of the fires. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries and no significant property loss. Fire investigators responded to each scene to conduct an …

On February 25th, the SODO BIA, along several other of Seattle’s neighborhood business districts delivered a report to city officials regarding persistent crime in our neighborhoods. The report, titled, “System Failure – Report on Prolific Offenders in Seattle’s Criminal Justice System” was commissioned by neighborhood business districts in SODO, Pioneer Square, Chinatown/International District, Downtown, Ballard, the University District and Seattle’s tourism industry. It analyzes a sample of 100 individuals with high frequency levels of criminal …