Seattle Foundation announced on Friday a $500,000 investment in the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) to support affordable housing planning and community-focused programming tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The funding will help advance predevelopment work for SCIDpda’s planned 8th and Lane project, a mixed-use affordable housing development in the Chinatown-International District (CID), while also supporting neighborhood activations during the global soccer tournament.
“We are deeply grateful for Seattle Foundation’s partnership and investment in the CID,” said Jamie Lee, co-executive director of SCIDpda. “This support helps us continue building toward a future where families can afford to live in the CID while also creating opportunities to celebrate the neighborhood’s culture, creativity, and community during a moment when the world’s attention will be on Seattle.”
SCIDpda plans to redevelop the 8th and Lane site into a mixed-use project featuring affordable family housing above ground-floor space designated for a community-based organization and/or affordable commercial retail opportunities.
The organization said the residential component will prioritize family-sized housing, with a goal of maximizing the number of two-, three- and four-bedroom units, pending the results of a feasibility study. SCIDpda also plans to pursue deeper affordability targets for households earning between 30% and 50% of area median income.
The investment will also support community-centered programming during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. SCIDpda’s activation is planned for Canton Alley South, located behind the future 8th and Lane development site.
Working with artist and organizer Scott Oshima, CID Arts Groups, CAM Mobile Book Fair & Library, local mahjong groups, artists Vivian Lin and Eli Roberts, and DJ Teck Savvy, SCIDpda will help program activities in Canton Alley South during the Wing Luke Museum’s JamFest.
Organizers say the programming is designed to spotlight local artists, celebrate the neighborhood’s culture and create welcoming experiences for residents and visitors, with the goal of keeping the Chinatown-International District’s businesses, organizations and residents at the center of the neighborhood’s World Cup experience.
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