Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, SeattleFWC26 Local Organizing Committee funded repairs and improvements to InterIm CDA’s parking lot at 900 South King Street. The improvements were requested by small businesses in the CID wanting their employees to be able to park in the neighborhood during the World Cup, to ensure businesses can operate smoothly and benefit from the events.
The funding paid for electrical and lighting repairs, ensuring visibility and operation of the entire parking lot, as well as repainting lines and numbers, according to InterIm. These improvements are intended to be permanent, and aim to make the parking lot safer and more usable after the World Cup.
SeattleFWC2026 also sponsored 50 parking passes for employees of small CID businesses to use every day between June 15 and July 6, providing them with free parking access for the duration of the World Cup.
In 1972, InterIm negotiated with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to lease the unused space under the I-5 freeway on Jackson Street between 8th Avenue South and 9th Avenue South, for a parking lot to serve CID customers, employees, and residents. However, it has been underutilized due to long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the neighborhood and safety concerns exacerbated by repair needs, especially lighting.
“While we’re hosting the world’s largest sporting event, it is the local projects, connections, and impacts that will make a lasting difference,” said Leo Flor, SeattleFWC26 Chief Legacy Officer, in a statement. “Our Local Organizing Committee is proud to support fifty CID small businesses employees with free parking passes during the World Cup while helping Interim improve a parking lot that supports their work for the long-term.”
