Community Development

SCIDPDA promotes new community projects that compliment the neighborhood's existing character. The International District Village Square is a model of the aspirations SCIDPDA has for community development.

At the International District Village Square you will find children climbing on a jungle gym alongside seniors cheering over a game of mahjong while a boisterous game of basketball goes into overtime across the street. The Village Square is a SCIDPDA project and an acclaimed product of a neighborhood vision to develop a multi-use facility to support the needs of the urban, vibrant, multi-generational and multi-cultural community. The Village Square offers a wide range of community resources in one convenient location and has quickly become a popular gathering space, serving over 133,000 people a year.

The International District Village Square features:

  • Legacy House - the community's first multi-Asian senior assisted-living facility.
  • Denise Louie Education Center - a childcare center that provides quality, multi-cultural early childhood education services.
  • The Domingo-Viernes Apartments - the first affordable family housing project built within the neighborhood in over 50 years. The apartments were named in honor of two slain community activists who advocated for social justice and better housing in the neighborhood.
  • Chinatown International District Community Center - managed by the City's Department of Parks and Recreation. For a schedule of events and classes, from yoga to movie club nights, go to www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/IDChinatown.htm.
  • Chinatown International District branch public library - The library seats up to 40 patrons and features a collection of 12,000 books and materials with an emphasis on multilingual and multimedia materials, computer work stations, instruction areas, and modern technology services.

For more information on the International District Village Square's available housing, retail and commercial spaces, visit our Commercial Properties and Housing pages.

Other SCIDPDA capital projects include the Bush Hotel/Bush Asia Center, Bush Annex that houses the Wing Luke Museum and Northwest Asian American Theatre, and the New Central.