Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels'
Remarks to the
Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver, B.C.
October 17, 2003

Good afternoon. Before we turn to our next panel of speakers, I'd like to give you some context around efforts in the region to grow bio-tech and other jobs; I'll talk about the roles each of us plays in growing the region's economy; and give you a sense of how I see my role as mayor of Seattle.

As all of us know well, we are in tough times. 100,000 are out of work in greater Seattle. We're challenged by the worst recession in a generation. We know the effects a recession can have. Joblessness can breed despair, kill hope and undermine community.

We have challenges, but I'm optimistic. I know from our history that this region bounces back from recession.

Seattle is a city of entrepreneurs, from Henry Yesler to Craig McCaw; from Bill Boeing to Bill Gates. Seattle is where the Jet Age began; where DOS was born; where a lowly cup of Joe was transformed into a product sold worldwide -- and where today, in our corner of America, a new generation of explorers charts the human genome - truly going where no one has gone before. We also have other great, world-class companies - Costco, Amazon, Weyerhaeuser, Washington Mutual. We must nurture those entrepreneurs, celebrate the power of their creativity, and keep the dream, the opportunity and hope alive for all.

We face challenges, but the region as a whole remains strong. On Labor Day, the city was hopping. Hundreds of thousands attended Bumbershoot. The Mariners were sold out. Washington State played Idaho at Seahawks Stadium. We even got a huge crowd at Hempfest!

Today, we see profound change in our region's economy. I'd like to see Boeing bring back 100,000 jobs, but that's unlikely. Our economy is restructuring - and the key is for our region's leadership to have the wisdom to chose the right path and have the courage to walk down that path. We must recognize the change, show a willingness to take the heat, and make decisions that position our economy to capture new jobs.

Look at what Norm Rice did in the early 1990s. He saw the challenge in downtown Seattle, developed an agenda to encourage investment, and had the courage to push for it. We see the return on that investment: in the midst of a recession, downtown Seattle remains a vibrant economic engine, employing 169,000 people who live throughout the region. And it's not just downtown. Across the city, we find signs of strength and renewal. Inc. Magazine compiled a list of cities with the nation's fastest growing private companies - and ranked us 6th on that list.

We need to build on that renewal. In my recent budget speech, I outlined my economic strategy. I argued that the solution to city's revenue problem and to people in need is jobs.

I'm nearly halfway through my first term in office - and I'm incredibly optimistic about the direction we've set -- we are moving forward on an agenda that will transform this city. Not every step has been easy. I've had some eggs tossed my way, but we are moving - setting the stage for a renewal of our great city.

We are:

• laying the foundation for thousands of new jobs
• creating new transit connections for people coming in or out of Seattle; and for getting around within Seattle. In our traffic-clogged region improving transportation is not just important to our mental health, but it's critical for our economy -- and for people to have access to jobs.
• creating great new places for those who want the big-city experience -- while preserving the scale and character of our great neighborhoods.
• making genuine progress for replacing the Viaduct and seizing an historic opportunity to re-open Seattle to its waterfront
• building thousands of affordable housing units to provide homes for everyone.

And finally, finally! We are one small step -- and one signature away -- from breaking ground on light rail. Finally, we are about to break ground on project that is critical to our 21st Century transportation network. We need that transit alternative and our economy needs those jobs. Within 24 months of breaking ground, we'll have 4,200 new family-wage jobs.

My Goal is to take the focused, sustained and disciplined effort that revived the downtown, and extend it to all of the city. We are willing to take the heat and do the right thing: create jobs, create a more vibrant city, and create a stronger region. We won't be shy or apologetic about this goal. We are building a city that will have more choices for housing, for transportation, for economic opportunity.

Members of the Chamber know about our efforts to unlock Northgate'to unleash new investment in the mall, new housing and new transit facilities. The Chamber is playing a crucial role in that effort. Thank you.

In the University District, I inherited a dysfunctional relationship between City government and one of the region's largest employers. The university is Seattle's largest employer, the training ground for our next generation of employees, leaders, and entrepreneurs. The university is critical to our future as a region, our future as a competitor in the global marketplace. It is our number one asset in the 21st Century. The university trains thousands of workers and brought in $933 million in research grant money. And yet the City had a "cold war" policy towards the University - "containment." This was crazy, as all of us in this group agreed last year.

I set about to change things. We had to find a way to nurture the University and help it thrive. Within a year, we did. With the chamber's help, and with the help of Councilmember Jan Drago, we removed the lid on the university, began conversations on new opportunities, and changed the relationship from adversaries to partners. Here too we had some rocks thrown at us. But it was the right thing to do. There should be no question: Our region is better off as a result.

Let me turn to South Lake Union - May we see the slide, please? Here, we are seeing the leading example of the birth of a new industry.

Let me cite some statistics:

• Biotech's employment has grown statewide by 9.5 percent every year since 1995.
• Average salary of a biotech job: $68,000 a year.
• Snohomish County has 5,000 bio tech jobs. King County has 12,500 biotech jobs, including the 7,300 in Seattle, mainly in South Lake Union.

Fred Hutch, UW, Zymogenetics and others are creating jobs that any city in the world would want.

Jim Thomas of Amgen are you here? Amgen is building the Helix Project at Terminal 88, which next year will house 700 researchers. Amgen recently announced that they will do their oncology research in Seattle. That's great news - and we're working with Amgen for further expansion.

Jim Gore of the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. Jim? SBRI is the leading nonprofit institution working on vaccines for some of the world's most dreaded diseases. They are opening a new facility on Westlake.

We are determined to make sure the City encourages these jobs. These are great jobs. They will help us grow our way out of the recession. And just as aerospace jobs in Everett benefit the entire region, so do the jobs we're creating in South Lake Union.

Biotech is an important emerging industry, but the value of a diverse economic base also requires the nurturing of other budding sectors - such as clean energy and our cruise ship industries -- and our established sectors -- manufacturing, maritime, and information technology and specialty beverages.

Throughout our region, different communities are playing exciting roles in our economic revival.

I thank all of you for your work. I support the hard work throughout the region. Tacoma's downtown renaissance is good for the entire region. I support Everett's efforts to win the 7E7. I support Redmond's role as host to the world's biggest software company. I support Renton's efforts to define its future.

We can't compete for the same jobs - we have to decide who's going after what. We have to agree which sectors make sense for each community. Competition isn't with each other; it's with the rest of the country and with the world.

I agree with George Duff, who recently wrote: "If our region is to be successful, we must continue to form partnerships that develop and implement long-term strategies for the economic success of the region."

I would add that the strategy must involve recognizing the critical roles each of us plays, supporting each other, and showing a willingness to take the heat so we move forward as a region.

I need your support in my jobs agenda. I need your help with Northgate, South Lake Union and with light rail. I gladly support the important work you do in partnering with Boeing, Microsoft and other leading employers.

I've learned from many years working on transportation that people don't care about jurisdictions. They just want the buses on time, potholes filled, freight to move from ship to destinations quickly. Same with the economy'the public wants us working together for a common end - opportunity for all. When Tacoma thrives, Seattle benefits. When Microsoft attracts another thousand engineers to Redmond, we say "halleluiah." And when Everett lands the contract for the next Boeing jetliner, I'll join the party, celebrating with all of Seattle.

Let's support each other. We're getting the hard work done. We're seizing opportunities to renew our economy. We are moving forward on the dreams of a great region.

Thank you.