Community Project Funding Requests FY2025
Rep. Adam Smith submitted the following Community Project Funding requests to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the FY 2025 appropriations bill.
Submitting projects to the House Appropriations Committee is the first step in the process and does not guarantee they will be funded. Rep. Smith will continue to advocate for this funding to be passed by Congress and signed into law.
$4M for Purpose Dignity Action – CID Public Safety Team
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Chinatown-International District, Seattle
Dept of Justice – Byrne Justice Assistance Grant
PDA is replicating a street team model to counter open-air criminal activity and safety concerns in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Funding will go to deploy a team to de-escalate disruptions and conflict in the neighborhood on a daily basis. They will be trained to de-escalate conflicts, connect individuals to housing and behavioral health services and coordinate with the Seattle Police Department and other emergency services as needed. The team will also be tasked with identifying individuals and networks in the neighborhood who need a targeted response from community partners like housing organizations and law enforcement.
$4.5M for City of Renton – Kennydale Lakeline Sanitary Sewer and Water Quality Preservation
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Renton, Kennydale (south end of Lake Washington)
EPA – State and Tribal Assistance Grant
The City of Renton’s Kennydale Lakeline Sewer System is more than 50 years old and faces significant challenges for replacement due to it’s location underwater, limited accessibility, and deteriorating condition. The City plans on creating a new sewer system outside of the lake to replace the aging cast iron pipes. Modern materials, construction techniques, and engineering standards will be employed to ensure the system's resilience against aging, climate-related challenges, and future growth in demand.
$1.6M for City of Seattle – Post Overdose Opioid Response
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Seattle
Dept of Justice – Byrne Justice Assistance Grant
The City of Seattle is launching a specialized emergency response team to provide an integrated, wraparound, and evidence-based response for people overdosing. The team will be staffed by specially trained firefighters and EMTs as well as a case manager with training in crisis intervention. They will work in conjunction with Seattle Police and Fire to take over at the scene when first responders are called, thus freeing up resources for emergency response. The team will also provide follow-up services to ensure that patients have access to resources and services to put them on the path to long term recovery.
$2.5M for City of Bellevue – Bellevue Grand Connection: I-405 Crossing (Downtown to Eastrail)
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Bellevue
Dept of Transportation – Highway Infrastructure Project
The City of Bellevue is developing public spaces to improve pedestrian and biking accessibility across I-405. The Grand Connection Crossing will connect downtown to bike and pedestrian trains that run through the region (i.e. Renton, Bothell, Kirkland, and Bellevue). Funding will go towards design.
$3M for Seattle Public Library – Columbia Library Seismic Retrofit
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Columbia City
Dept of Homeland Security – Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant
The Columbia Branch Library is one of Seattle’s three unreinforced Carnegie libraries. It is at high risk for damage and loss of life in the event of an earthquake. The Seattle Public Library is working on a comprehensive structural upgrade to significantly increase the safety of the building during an earthquake.
$2.5M for City of Tukwila – Tukwila Community Center HVAC Replacement
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Tukwila
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
The Tukwila Community Center (TCC) is a recreation center serving intergenerational program participants from across all of Tukwila and King County that has an aging heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that is at the end of and past its useful life. Original to the building from 1997, the HVAC system needs to be replaced with a new, more energy efficient system before the old system fails completely. The center is critical for community recreational activities and also as a resource during natural disasters and extreme weather events. It has been used as both a healing and cooling center.
$1.5M for Green River College – Electric Vehicle Automotive Center
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Auburn
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
Green River College offers a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified Automotive Technology department. With the goal of creating a regional hub for EV maintenance technician training, Green River College is renovating and equipping an instructional facility that can accommodate an EV-focused curriculum in development. As the demand for EVs grows, the workforce trained to repair them is lacking.
$2.5M for City of Des Moines – Midway Park Construction
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Des Moines
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
The City of Des Moines is redesigning and expanding Midway Park, located in the Pacific Ridge neighborhood. It is not easily accessible, has outdated lighting, temporary porta-potties, and often has many abandoned cars parked along its frontage. The design improvements to the existing Midway Park, including expanded park area, will provide increased opportunities for park visibility and physical activity, with durable, functional yet aesthetically pleasing amenities that promote for a healthier lifestyle and family gatherings. The proposed design will improve usability as well as safety throughout the park and create more cohesive and inclusive opportunities for recreational activities within in a currently underserved community area.
$1.4M for Community Roots Housing – Joe Black & Burton Wetmore Apartments Affordable Housing Preservation
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Seattle
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
Community Roots Housing has been serving low-income residents and providing affordable housing to the Seattle area community for almost half a century. They serve more than 2,200 low-income people across the city and in White Center. Two apartment buildings have immediate capital needs that must be addressed to ensure safety and comfort of the low-income families who live there. The Byron Wetmore was one of Community Roots’ first ever projects built with Low Income Housing Tax Credits, placed into service in 1992. A very small building with only 12 apartments, the Byron Wetmore largely serves families, providing 10 affordable two- and three-bedroom rental homes—a rare commodity in the city today. The property has not obtained significant renovation funding since it was first built and is showing its age. This family-oriented affordable community comprises two buildings around a central courtyard that encourages community engagement and provides space for children to play. Similarly, the Joe Black apartments, a 1956 attached townhome style property comprising 24 apartments, is just a block away and provides 3 two-bedroom and 21 three-bedroom apartments for families to thrive and children to play. Community Roots acquired the Joe Black apartments in 1988 with funding from the City of Seattle Office of Housing. Both buildings offer deep affordability, serving those earning 40% and 50% of the Area Median Income.
$1M for South King Fire – Firefighter PPE CO2 Decontamination Unit
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Kent
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
The South King Fire Training Consortium is acquiring a machine that uses liquid CO2 to decontaminate clothing and equipment that comes in contact with the many carcinogenic materials (e.g. PFAS and asbestos) that firefighters are exposed to when responding to fires and other emergencies.
$700K for Seattle Indian Services Commission – Native Village & Gateway Project (Demo)
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Chinatown-International District, Seattle
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
The Native Village & Gateway project will provide affordable housing and economic development services for the American Indian and Alaska Native residents of Seattle and King County. Native Village & Gateway project is a redevelopment of the Pearl Warren Building, located on 12th & Weller. The building must be demolished for safety, to reduce crime, and to remove the ability for re-entry to the building.
$1M for Congolese Integration Network – STEM Education Program
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Seatac
NASA – Safety, Security, and Mission Services
The Congolese Integration Network (CIN) is building a program to address the digital disparity prevalent within refugee and immigrant communities through a comprehensive basic and coding class initiative. The program is strategically designed to not only equip participants with essential digital literacy skills but also to ignite their interest and involvement in STEM fields, fostering pathways to economic independence and professional growth. In recognizing the critical importance of technology proficiency in contemporary society, CIN aims to empower individuals within these communities with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape effectively.
$1.5 M for Highline College – Soccer and Sports Complex Rehabilitation
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Des Moines
Dept of Housing and Urban Development – Economic Development Initiative
Highline College is renovating and turfing their soccer fields in order to improve community access and fill a critical gap in recreational infrastructure in South King County. The new complex will directly address the long-standing lack of adequate recreational facilities highlighted by the community, including youth who often express their disadvantage compared to peers in more affluent areas like Seattle.
$3M for King County Water District 54 – Water Treatment Modernization
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: N. Kent/Des Moines
EPA – State and Tribal Assistance Grants
The King County Water District No. 54 (District) serves the drinking water needs of approximately 5,200 residents of the City of Des Moines, Washington, and a southern portion of the City of Normandy Park, through 755 connections. The quality of the District’s water is excellent, with the caveat that manganese is present at or above the secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) of 0.050 mg/L. While not a current health concern, it’s presence is a concern since it sometimes precipitates in the water causing it to turn brown. Manganese may become what’s known as an emerging contaminant, making the level present more of an issue as further risk assessments are completed. The Project will install a manganese treatment system, which will use an appropriate treatment technology, such as oxidation/filtration, determined during the predesign phase (ongoing) to remove manganese, iron, and any other associated contaminants.
$2.25M for City of Kent – Mobile Command Police Vehicle
Signed financial disclosure letter.
Location: Kent
Dept of Justice – Byrne Justice Assistance Grant
The City of Kent’s growth has increased the need for a mobile hub to coordinate emergency responses, manage large-scale events, and ensure the security of our community. A Mobile Command Post Vehicle (MCPV) would be a critical element utilized by public safety agencies during various incidents including, preplanned and spontaneous law enforcement activities, natural disasters, training events, and public engagement events.