Executive Order considers exercising eminent domain powers, convenes a stakeholder workgroup, and commits to advocacy for changes to state law
Seattle – Today, Mayor Harrell issued an Executive Order to ensure adequate access to grocery stores in Seattle through a multipronged approach to addressing food deserts. These food deserts, which limit access to healthy affordable food or medicine, exist throughout Seattle, and many neighborhoods have only one full-service grocery store that would result in a food desert if closed.
The Executive Order directs the City to explore the potential acquisition of the property situated at 13000 Lake City Way NE, which presently houses a Fred Meyer store, and develop a plan for future uses to benefit the nearby community. The Fred Meyer store closed this month resulting in a food desert in the Lake City neighborhood.
“As mayor, I am fighting for every neighborhood in Seattle to have access to affordable food and medicine, which is essential for the health and safety of the people of our city,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “This solution-focused Executive Order explores all options available to the City to ensure our children, older adults, people with mobility issues, and families have equitable access to fresh, local, affordable, and culturally relevant food and medicine.”
Other actions in the order include:
- Directing City departments, including Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), the Office of Economic Development (OED), and the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE), to identify locations that are currently or may be at risk of becoming food deserts due to grocery store, convenience store, and pharmacy closures.
- Identifying a potential City role in helping to acquire properties in strategic locations that may support a grocery store or pharmacy and working with potential private sector partners to assess feasibility, for locations identified as a current or potential future food or pharmacy desert.
- Developing legislation to change land use, zoning, and permitting regulations to help incentivize more grocery stores and pharmacies in needed locations.
- Convening stakeholder groups comprised of representatives from grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies, community groups, and representatives from business, labor, and state government, along with relevant City staff, to identify the structural and economic conditions contributing to the closure of stores and challenges faced by the Lake City community.
- Inclusion in the City’s 2026 State Legislative Agenda a ban on restrictive covenants and other negative use restrictions that limit or prohibit a property from including a grocery store or pharmacy and modifying the state business and occupation tax structure to exempt grocery stores and pharmacies.
“Prioritizing food access is both timely and necessary,” said Joy Hollingsworth, Seattle City Councilmember, District 3. “I appreciate the Mayor’s thoughtful proposal and it’s a proactive step to ensure that all Seattle neighborhoods have equitable access to fresh, healthy food and don’t become food deserts.”
This Executive Order adds to recent actions to address food and medicine access such as introduction of emergency legislation this month banning restrictive covenants and negative use restrictions for grocery stores and pharmacies and nearly $12M in new investments as part of the Mayor’s Proposed 2026 Budget, a 20% increase in overall food investments. These new investments include:
- Adding an additional $6 million to Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program
- Adding $3 million to support local food banks
- Dedicating $1 million to address retail theft, property damage, and other crimes at grocery stores
- Adding $1 million to support year-round prepared hot meal access for youth, seniors, people experiencing homelessness, and others in need of a nutritious meal
- Providing $700,000 to support the opening and expansion of small businesses offering healthy, fresh foods and cultural household essentials throughout Seattle neighborhoods.
- Allocating more than $300,000 over three years to extend Lake City Farmers Market by an additional 15 weeks per year and future transition to Saturdays