SODO is a unique neighborhood. Named for its location south of the Kingdome, the district grew from filled-in tidal flats to a vibrant and diverse business district. Supporting the neighborhood’s businesses is the SODO Business Improvement Area.
“We focus on a lot of different areas mainly around cleaning, safe transportation, economic development, and community engagement,” said Lauren Lundberg, SODO BIA deputy director.
Business owners came together in 2014 to form the SODO BIA with the goal of addressing issues facing the neighborhood. Ratepayer assessments fund the services and programs BIAs provide; all tailored to the unique needs of the district they serve.
“Since the money we collect can only be used in SODO, this allows communities to invest in their neighborhood, meaning businesses have more of a voice for their community,” said Lundberg.
“It’s the sense of community that the SODO BIA creates, the ability to connect and network with other small business owners and even mid-sized business owners, landowners, landlords, and vendors,” added Harley Stiner, owner of Peace Vans in SODO. “It’s that, in addition to the financial support, that makes all the difference.”
Creating a vibrant community
The SODO BIA is one of Seattle’s largest BIAs when it comes to the land area the organization serves. That can make getting to know your neighbors a little bit harder. The BIA stepped in and started quarterly networking events for business owners to help them connect with each other and to form a community.
“It’s nice being able to network, meet the neighbors, and come up with ideas of things we can do together,” said Batt.
The organization also takes steps to build community by creating spaces for its members to enjoy. A few years ago, Lundberg says they heard feedback from their ratepayers that there was a need for a place to go for walks or spend their lunch breaks.
“SODO does not have a lot of available green space. So, through work with the City of Seattle, we were able to open the SODO Pocket Park last fall,” said Lundberg.
Other efforts to create a vibrant neighborhood include the addition of murals. The SODO BIA is behind more than 80 murals added to the neighborhood in the last decade. Lundberg says it’s a great way to showcase art while curbing vandalism.
“People who have murals tend to have less graffiti on their wall. We also build in maintenance so that if they are tagged, we can clean them up quickly,” she said. “We’re hoping to do more so SODO is known for being an area with a lot of murals.”
The BIA’s clean team removes the graffiti on murals and anywhere else in the neighborhood, as well as trash pickup throughout the neighborhood. To help with crime prevention, the BIA offers environmental design walkthroughs with business owners to help make sure their properties are safe and secure. When it comes to any issue a business owner may face, Lundberg says no problem is too big or too small.
Helping businesses thrive
In addition to serving local businesses and the neighborhood, the SODO BIA assists businesses looking to relocate to SODO by helping them find suitable spaces, navigate resources from the BIA and the City, and foster their continued growth and success in the area.
The Storefront Improvement Fund is one of those resources. Business owners can utilize the funds to repair broken windows or make improvements to their building. Mike Batt, co-owner of Silver Platters, says the funds made it easy to not only make repairs, but keep their windows clean.
“Our windows got keyed and painted on a few years ago. The BIA worked with us to get the windows refurbished and put a coating on it so that if the windows are keyed again, we can just peel it off the windows and put a new coating on, which is cheaper than replacing a window,” said Batt.
Chick’n Fix opened its first brick-and-mortar location in SODO in 2024. They used the Storefront Improvement Fund to get new paint and to make sure their windows were ready to meet new customers.
“Sometimes a new business is just a couple thousand dollars away from opening, especially after going through all the permitting processes. So anything we can do to make opening a bit easier, we will do,” said Lundberg.
Another way the BIA supports businesses is through transportation advocacy. With several infrastructure projects coming through SODO, Lundberg says they spend a lot of time making sure business owners understand what that means for them.
“We share what they can expect in terms of communications as well as ways to elevate their voices,” she said. “That way decision makers hear directly from businesses on how projects will impact them.”
Stiner says that support helps business owners feel like they have a partner as they navigate changes in the neighborhood.
“We get the inside scoop of what’s happening with the City and various legislative initiatives. We feel like we have a phenomenal partner, so we learn all sorts of things,” he said.
“Our mission is to serve the businesses of SODO,” she said. “We’re here to help with any issue.”
There are 11 BIAs in Seattle. While BIAs form, fund, and govern themselves through assessments, we partner with them on their work through oversight, technical assistance, policy support, and serving as the liaison between BIAs and other City departments. We ensure the model operates with transparency and fiscal responsibility so the BIAs can focus on meeting the needs of their neighborhoods. Learn more about Seattle’s business improvement areas on our website.