International Special Review District Subject Files

Series

Identifier: 5754-C2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

The Office of Urban Conservation was created in 1975 as part of the Department of Community Development (DCD). It was founded in an era of citizen protests against a proposed urban renewal program that would have demolished Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. The office’s mandate was to coordinate Seattle’s historic preservation programs and administer the city’s landmark boards and historic districts. When DCD was abolished in 1992, the office became the Historic Preservation Program in the Department of Neighborhoods.

The International Special Review District was created by the City Council in 1973 in order to preserve the neighborhood’s unique Asian-American character. It was the only area in the continental United States where Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and African Americans combined to build one neighborhood. The District contains early 20th-century hotels and commercial buildings, and part of the area is listed on the National Register. One focus of the Board in the 1970s was to encourage development of housing and pedestrian-friendly businesses, which was of special concern with the construction of the Kingdome just west of the neighborhood. The Office of Urban Conservation, and later the Historic Preservation Program, provided staffing to the board.

Series contains correspondence, memos, clippings, and other materials relating to issues affecting the District. Many of the records deal with METRO transit projects, including bus shelters, transit bases, and bus zones. Another significant portion of materials relate to I-90 access ramps and transit plans, including some high-quality aerial photos. Other topics covered in the collection include Union Station, the installation of banners in the neighborhood, the Kingdome, City Light utility issues, neighborhood concerns with liquor licenses, and elections for the International Special Review District Board.

Dates

Creation: 1973-2002

Creator

Seattle (Wash.). Office of Urban Conservation (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access note

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

The Department of Neighborhoods was created in 1991 by consolidating staff from the Executive Department's Citizens Service Bureau and Office of Neighborhoods, the Community Service Centers of the Department of Human Resources, and the Neighborhood Assistance Division of the Department of Community Development. The Office of Urban Conservation, the City's historic preservation agency, was added in 1992. The following year, the department added a community development function by taking over projects in the Central Area, Southeast Seattle, and the Port of Seattle. In 1999, the Neighborhood Planning Office was abolished and its continuing functions were assumed by the Department of Neighborhoods. The Department's mission is to bring local government closer to the citizens by maintaining a responsive presence in Seattle neighborhoods, by responding to citizen concerns and complaints, and providing a communications link for neighborhoods on City issues that will have an impact on them. The department operates the Neighborhood Service Centers (Little City Halls), administers the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program, staffs the Landmarks Preservation Board, and manages the P-Patch program.