Tukwila Station – Image Credit: Kgrr (CC by SA-4.0)
The city of Tukwila in South King County has historically been exempt from Seattle’s rise in development. Cheap rents have made the city a destination for immigrant communities, most recently from Somalia. In the last few years however, the property boom to the north has begun to travel south. This re-development wave can be seen most prominently in the city’s Southcenter Mall, a complex with penthouses going for $6,000 a month. Home values in the community have seen a recent uptick as well.
Seizing on re-development potential, the city of Tukwila has big plans for infrastructure, including a new justice center on Tukwila International Boulevard. Unfortunately, the proposed site would require the removal of several immigrant-owned groceries, restaurants and other businesses, which locals say would severely damage the community. Partnering with advocacy groups OneAmerica and Puget Sound Sage, the businesses have petitioned the city to reconsider using eminent domain to acquire the properties. The city originally agreed to extend the deadline for moving to March 2019, and in late May began mediation talks with the local business community. City Administrator David Cline has stated that the mediation is over financial compensation and that the proposed site will not change.
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