CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; authorizing the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager to execute a long-term lease and operating agreement with the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority for the use and occupancy of the City's Georgetown Steam Plant property, a National Historic Landmark; allowing the Authority to assume regular public programming in the Georgetown Steam Plant for the purposes of historical interpretation as well as education in the areas of science, technology, education, arts, math, and related events, and also to provide continual general upkeep and stewardship of the Georgetown Steam Plant, including the addition of amenities enabling more and better community access.
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WHEREAS, the Georgetown Steam Plant was built in 1906 to fuel Seattle’s growing electric streetcar system and houses two of the only remaining Curtis vertical steam turbine generators left in place in the world; and
WHEREAS, the City Light Department has owned the Georgetown Steam Plant since 1951 and maintained its operation status as a power generating station for stand-by needs until 1974; and
WHEREAS, the Georgetown Steam Plant is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historical Mechanical Engineering Landmark, a National Historic Landmark and a Seattle Landmark; and
WHEREAS, City Light began providing free open houses and public guided tours of the Georgetown Steam Plant in October 2014 and has welcomed over 10,000 visitors since then; and
WHEREAS, the Georgetown Steam Plant has much more value as a museum and community resource for the public for the arts, education, and historic interpretation; and
WHEREAS, the Georgetown Steam Plant serves as a visual landmark within the Georgetown, Seattle neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, City Light has invested grant and other funds towards the preservation of the Georgetown Steam Plant; and
WHEREAS, City Light formed a Georgetown Steam Plant Advisory Committee, comprised of experts in business, historic preservation, arts and museum fields, and led a 14-month examination of potential actions to ensure a sustainable future for the Georgetown Steam Plant as a community amenity; and
WHEREAS, the Georgetown Steam Plant Advisory Committee recommended that City Light maintain ownership of the building and engage with an appropriate non-profit to provide regular public programming, education, and historical interpretation; and
WHEREAS, City Light accepted the committee’s recommendation and wishes to transfer regular operations and programming of the decommissioned building to a non-profit partner so they may expand public use of the Georgetown Steam Plant as a museum and community resource, allowing fuller development and more community use of this valuable historic resource than would be possible with City Light operating it using ratepayer funds; and
WHEREAS, City Light issued a Request for Proposal seeking an appropriate partner to fulfill the advisory committee’s recommendations; and
WHEREAS, City Light chose the respondent team led by Equinox Development Unlimited, LLC, as the community based organization with which to develop this partnership; and
WHEREAS, Equinox Development Unlimited, LLC, has incorporated a new non-profit in the State of Washington, called the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority, for the sole purpose of programming, education, operation, use, and daily management of the Georgetown Steam Plant for the public; and
WHEREAS, City Light and the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority have defined permitted uses of the building and its current and future conditions, and the entities wish to contract through a long-term lease which enables the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority to provide increased public programming and access to community and diverse audiences; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the City Light Department, or designee, is authorized to execute for and on behalf of The City of Seattle a 30-year lease and operating agreement with up to two possible 15-year lease extensions with the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority for the use and occupancy of a portion of the Georgetown Steam Plant property, substantially the form of the agreement attached to this ordinance as Attachment 1, the exhibits to which contain the full legal description of the premises to be leased.
Section 2. It is anticipated that additional property rights in the future for access and use may become available to the City Light Department adjacent to the Georgetown Steam Plant property as detailed in Attachment 1. Should an access easement from King County for the Georgetown Steam Plant be granted to City Light or should City Light recall property from the Boeing Company under the terms of City Light’s lease to the Boeing Company that was authorized by Ordinance 123965, the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the City Light Department, or designee, is authorized to add such easement or recalled property to the Georgetown Steam Plant property under the terms of this lease and operating agreement.
Section 3. The City Council finds that the Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority is providing adequate consideration to City Light through the provision of services and full performance of its obligations related to use and occupancy of the Georgetown Steam Plant property and mutual and offsetting benefit commitments in the lease, which include: (i) operating the Georgetown Steam Plant as a non-profit partner of the City for the public benefit as a museum and community resource, and providing public tours and programs for the arts, education, and historical interpretation in keeping with its status as a National Historical Mechanical Engineering Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and a Seattle Landmark; (ii) and performing certain improvements and maintenance of the decommissioned Georgetown Steam Plant building for day-to-day operations as a museum, historic landmark, and community resource.
Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2021, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2021.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this ________ day of _________________, 2021.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2021.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Lease and Operating Agreement for the Georgetown Steam Plant
Exhibit A - Legal Description of GTSP Property
Exhibit B - Map of GTSP Property
Exhibit C - Seattle Landmark Ordinance 111884 (Including Map Showing Boundaries)
Exhibit D - National Historic Landmark Designation (Designation Letter, Dated 9-13-1984)
Exhibit E - Maximum Elevation for New Structures West of the GTSP Building
Exhibit F - Building for Culture Grant Agreement
Exhibit G - Contract for Heritage Capital Project 19-19
Exhibit H - Grant Agreement Number P19AP00599 between the United States Department of Interior National Park Service and Seattle City Light