Business Improvement Areas are critical placemaking partners to our office: as a community-driven means of allocating resources and services for business districts, they are created and managed by the local businesses and property owners who fund them. Everyone in the district contributes their fair share, and the collected funds are used to provide services that benefit the entire area and reflect community needs.
As our Business Improvement Areas policy advisor, I joined state legislators and BIA leaders from across Washington for the state’s first BIA Advocacy Day on January 27.
The goal of the meetings was introductory: to help legislators understand what BIAs are, how they function, and why they matter to communities across the state. Conversations highlighted the on-the-ground work BIAs do to support economic vitality, including neighborhood cleaning, events, marketing, advocacy, small business support, and public space activation. BIA leaders from Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, and Spokane participated in approximately 20 short, 15-minute meetings with state legislators throughout the day, splitting into smaller teams to meet with as many offices as possible. It was a busy day!
I participated alongside BIA leaders and helped bridge local district perspectives with the broader government and policy context. The group also shared that the BIA community plans to propose updates to state law in a future legislative session, setting the stage for long-term policy work at the state level.
This day was about building shared understanding and positive relationships, and our meetings were well received. Many legislators expressed appreciation for learning more about BIAs and hearing firsthand examples of how districts contribute to healthier, more vibrant local economies.
This was just the first step. Next, the BIA community plans to continue statewide coordination and return to Olympia for next year’s legislative session with more specific policy discussions. Our office will remain engaged in supporting this work and helping ensure that local district perspectives are reflected in state-level conversations.
For questions or to learn more about our work with BIAs, feel free to reach out to me at casey.rogers@seattle.gov, read our blog post on their community-driven approach, or check our Business Improvement Areas website!
BIA leaders participating in BIA Advocacy Day in Olympia.