Seattle's Central District Assesses Community Development

The Africatown Community Coalition's work is a direct response to decades of displacement in the Central District. Once a neighborhood with a 73% Black population in the 1970s, that number has plummeted to around 10% due to gentrification, redlining, and rising housing costs. The community-led Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) was formed to acquire and develop land to ensure the Black community can continue to live and thrive in the area. A cornerstone of this effort is Africatown Plaza, a recently opened seven-story building featuring 126 affordable apartments for families earning up to 60% of the area's median income. Developed in partnership with Community Roots Housing, the project was designed with significant community input to serve as a cultural anchor and a symbol of anti-displacement. The building also includes ground-floor retail space for Black-owned businesses and offices for the ACLT. This follows the successful 2018 opening of the Liberty Bank Building, ACLT's first affordable housing project, which provides 115 homes. The building stands on the site of the first Black-owned bank in the Pacific Northwest, founded in 1968 as a response to discriminatory lending practices. Elements of the original bank, like the vault door and bricks, were incorporated into the new design to honor its legacy. Another key project is the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation, which transformed a historic fire station into a tech and entrepreneurship hub for Seattle's Black community. Named after a Black pioneer who was a key figure in the Central District's history, the center provides training, mentorship, and resources to foster economic empowerment and create a pipeline for the next generation of business and tech leaders.