—Join Us For Discussions of Lessons Learned to Advance Seismic Safety Initiatives Twenty-five years after the Nisqually earthquake shook the Puget Sound region, the City of Seattle is gathering at Seattle City Hall to remember the day the ground moved—and to continue important conversations about the city’s ongoing seismic preparedness…. [ Keep reading ]
On January 20, 2026 advocates from across Washington gathered in Olympia for Fix the Bricks Lobby Day to support HB 1810, legislation focused on advancing life-saving earthquake retrofits for unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. The day reflected a strong and growing partnership between the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of… [ Keep reading ]
Opening a physical location for your business is a major milestone, but the road to opening day can be complicated. From navigating lease negotiations to understanding building codes, the process can be overwhelming. That is why we are excited to launch a new “Opening A Business Location” guide. This resource… [ Keep reading ]
Landslide season is still here, so the City of Seattle is urging residents to take preventive measures to protect themselves and their property from possible landslides. Did you know that most landslides occur between the months of November and March? The threat of landslides will continue to rise as rainfall… [ Keep reading ]
For Immediate Release January 15, 2026 Contact: Bryan Stevens bryan.stevens@seattle.gov Seattle Launches “Month of Nisqually Earthquake” 25th Anniversary Event Series with Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) Public events begin at MOHAI with a History Café focused on earthquake risk and the dangers of unreinforced masonry buildings SEATTLE – As… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle City Council recently adopted the 2026 budget, including legislation that implements SDCI fee changes in 2026. We’ve implemented an inflationary increase of 6.5 percent year-over-year to most fees. These fee increases will result in an SDCI base hourly rate of $292 an hour. Construction Permit and Master Use… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings are an essential part of the city’s architectural heritage, and they are also among the most vulnerable structures during an earthquake. Over the last several years, we’ve been working to make seismic retrofits more affordable, and easier to complete. URM owners have more support than… [ Keep reading ]
We’ve seen an uptick in applications for 4-story residential structures that are classified as R-3 (single-family or duplex) because of increased demand for density and additional housing in the city. The Seattle Residential Code (SRC) currently only applies to buildings that are 3 stories or less, so these projects are… [ Keep reading ]
The City of Seattle is in the process of updating Seattle’s Stormwater Code and Stormwater Manual as required by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The second draft of the 2026 Stormwater Code and Manual documents will be available for public review and comment beginning January 7, 2026. The documents… [ Keep reading ]
