Seattle is trying to attract more people to visit and work downtown

The city of Seattle is trying to attract more people to visit and work downtown. But so far there’s been mixed results.

Places like Westlake Park and Pike Place Market are busier than they have been in over two years when the pandemic began, according to new data from the Downtown Seattle Association.

The data shows nearly three million people visited the city in July, the highest since summer 2019.

To get more people downtown the city has brought in live music, permitted rental scooters, and deployed a lot of police.

“There's a lot more of a security presence,” said Eleanor Henson, who works at Oscar’s Pizza food truck in Westlake, “I think in response to the homelessness crisis, which I don't know if that's really the best course of action. Not really treating the root of the problem.”

Henson said people experiencing homelessness often come to the truck asking for free food and water.

“That's a problem that we'd like to see addressed because it's not our responsibility,” she said, “but I think that downtown is definitely a lot more lively compared to what it was a couple years ago.”

On a recent sunny weekday during lunchtime, a large Seattle Police Department van was parked a block away from Westlake Park. Pairs of officers on foot and bikes circled the area while private security employees stood in front of stores.

Henson said she has seen a recent increase in out-of-towners but would like to see more businesses return to the empty storefronts.

“I think people don't really want to spend a lot of time downtown because they don't feel safe so I'd like the city to address that and find a more permanent solution than just having security guards harass them,” she said.