Seattle City Makers

For the better part of the past six years, the concept of office to residential conversions has been held up as a potential solution (in some cases THE solution) in downtowns across the country grappling with vacant or underused office properties. But what's a realistic expectation for conversions in Seattle? In addition to cost, what are other considerations impacting the feasibility of these types of projects? Jon and Grant Howard of Unico Properties go in-depth on these questions and more surrounding conversions, and they dig into the complexities of an office-to-residential project Unico completed in Tacoma, the Astor.  Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Grant Howard of Unico Properties, brought to you by Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

Perhaps you’ve seen social media videos of or have heard of the residential towers under development downtown with a Boeing fuselage tucked between them. It’s a wild project and it’s just one of the many notable works constructed by Seattle firm JTM Construction. From Weyerhaeuser's headquarters and RailSpur in Pioneer Square to the F5 Tower, Stadium Place and The Jack, JTM has built or renovated a large number of notable downtown properties. Jon and JTM Construction President & CEO Ben Coffman dig into the details of some of these projects; the challenges of historic renovation construction; Ben’s path to leadership at JTM; the state of the construction sector in Seattle and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ben Coffman of JTM Construction.

Did you know the waters of Seattle position us at the sixgill shark capital of the world? Did you hear about a humpback whale recently appearing just 30 feet or so from Pier 59? Are you aware of the Aquarium's remote operated vehicle and the burgeoning blue tech sector in Seattle? We're diving into the deep end with Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Meg McCann.  Meg and Jon discuss the Aquarium's upcoming 50th anniversary; the technology and innovation behind their work; Seattle's global impact on ocean policy; her path to leadership at this venerable Seattle institution and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Meg McCann of the Seattle Aquarium.

A meal at FareStart is more than a midweek lunch or a guest chef dinner, although those are great in and of themselves. Dining at FareStart is experiencing a nonprofit in action. Jon is joined by FareStart CEO Patrick D’Amelio, who has been at the helm of this venerable job training and culinary-based social enterprise nonprofit since 2023. The two discuss Patrick’s 30 years in executive leadership; FareStart’s shifts coming out of the pandemic; newer programs for younger students; the wildly popular guest chef nights; what’s ahead for FareStart and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Patrick D’Amelio of FareStart.

Earlier this summer, DSA and partners launched a coordinated effort to get people sleeping unsheltered in the Pioneer Square neighborhood downtown and on the path to stability. This project required a multi-team effort, close coordination, and there were no extra resources available to lean upon. Community Solutions had developed similar program architecture to address chronic homelessness in more than 100 cities across the country. Now, it was Seattle’s turn and the results were impressive. Community Solutions founder and president Rosanne Haggerty built this program in Times Square, and she sits down with Jon to talk about her beginnings in this work; the success of the Pioneer Square project in Seattle; the state of homelessness in our country and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Rosanne Haggerty of Community Solutions.

This is a first for the Seattle City Makers podcast as we welcome a U.S. ambassador to the show. Jon sits down with former U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Roger Nyhus. A Washington native with a deep history in politics and communications, Ambassador Nyhus and Jon discuss his path to the appointment, his relationship with former President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden; his duties and priorities as ambassador; the meaning of the word plenipotentiary; why an ambassador in the Caribbean can’t wear a linen blazer; meeting Rihanna; politics in Seattle and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Ambassador Roger Nyhus.

The matches and watch parties now in the rearview, the World Cup-induced energy is still reverberating throughout downtown Seattle. In this second part of our World Cup Conversation episodes, Jon is joined by Peter Tomozawa, the CEO of the Seattle World Cup Local Organizing Committee. Peter joined the show right after the largest sporting event in the world concluded to give us a debrief on how the Emerald City fared on the global stage. Jon and Peter talk about the many ways this event impacted the community; incoming messages from all over the world about Seattle; what set our city apart as a great host location; how to keep the momentum going on and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Peter Tomozawa.

The matches now in the rearview, the World Cup-induced energy is still reverberating throughout downtown Seattle. In the first part of our World Cup Conversation episodes, Jon is joined by Seattle Sports Commission President & CEO Beth Knox and Seattle Reign Chief Business Officer Maya Mendoza-Exstrom. The two co-chairs of the bid to bring the FIFA Men’s World Cup to Seattle will take us behind the scenes of securing the bid; they’ll reflect on the recently completed Seattle matches; the impact of bringing the biggest sporting event in the world to downtown Seattle; what the soccer world had to say about our city & fans; how to harness the energy and vibes this event created; what’s next for big sporting events in Seattle and much, much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guests Beth Knox and Maya Mendoza-Exstrom.

Urban Visions Founder & CEO Greg Smith’s Seattle roots run deep in this city. The fifth-generation Seattleite has developed some of downtown’s signature properties, and real estate runs in his family. There are many tales to tell. Jon and Greg talk about bringing Weyerhaeuser to Pioneer Square; the transformation of the Grand Central Building; his views on downtown and the city; the importance of a growing residential base downtown and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Greg Smith.

The largest Goodwill store in the world (yes, the world) is just south of downtown Seattle. So, it’s fitting that Libby Johnson McKee is the President & CEO of Evergreen Goodwill, since she spent more than a decade as the director of worldwide returns at Amazon. Jon and Libby talk about Evergreen Goodwill handling 119 million pounds of products each year; how her career in tech has impacted Evergreen Goodwill’s operations; the education and job training opportunities at Goodwill; lives impacted by their programs and much more. Join us for Seattle City Makers with Jon Scholes and guest Libby Johnson McKee.