More people are coming to Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID), but business owners said the comeback hasn’t arrived yet. The CID Business Improvement Area reports foot traffic is up 12% this year compared to 2025, though it’s still below pre-pandemic levels. Business owners said higher costs are part of the problem, but public safety is the biggest one.
Owners also pointed to the open-air drug market around 12th Avenue and S Jackson Street as a reason customers stay away. The city recently spent more than $1 million on a 90-day emphasis patrol in the area, but neighborhood advocate and former City Councilmember Tanya Woo said businesses saw little change.
Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said the neighborhood felt left out during the World Cup, when other parts of the city got attention and investment…