12 Things Seattle Can Teach Others about Jobs, Economic Development and Building a Better City

GeekWire | Tren Griffin | June 9

“In a very thoughtful post, Fred Wilson identified an interesting set of facts and conclusions: “…the companies that have come out of Seattle over the past thirty years put NYC and L.A. and probably even Boston to shame. So on a dollars in/dollars in, Seattle outperforms. By a lot.” The most interesting and important takeaway from the phenomenon Fred describes is to identify which success factors made this happen and how other cities might learn from this example. What can be learned from this success? The truth is that there is no single cause or formula and instead this success is a result of many factors feeding back on themselves. Success breeds success.” Read more.

See How Seattle Plans to Develop its Downtown Pier

Komo News | Komo Staff | June 8

“SEATTLE — The city wants to rebuild Pier 62/63 near the ferry dock in a partnership with Friends of Waterfront Seattle. The development is intended to create a place to walk, check out views and perhaps provide space for such events as “Summer Nights at the Pier.” A new feature would be a floating dock for water access…The construction would take place the same time as the seawall near the pier is replaced.” Read more.

3 Seattle Health Facilities Get $2M from City for Capital Improvements, Expansions of Care

Puget Sound Business Journal | Coral Garnick | June 8

“The city of Seattle Wednesday announced three awards totaling $2 million for three community health care facilities to make capital improvements. The recipients are NeighborCare Health, Country Doctor Community Health Centers and International Community Health Services. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, thousands more of Seattle residents have health care coverage, and now it’s our turn as a city to help expand local access to these critical health services,” Mayor Ed Murray said in a statement.” Read more.

Here Are the Top-Rated CEOs According to Employee Reviews on Glassdoor – 18 from Tech Make Cut

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | June 7

“Leaders from technology companies landed in 18 of the 50 spots on Glassdoor’s annual list of the Highest Rated CEOs when the job search website revealed its Employees’ Choice Awards on Tuesday night. Glassdoor said that its list is based solely on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback. Workers complete a company review on whether they approve or disapprove of their CEO, along with insight into their job, work environment and employer over the past year. Four CEOs from the Seattle region made the cut: No. 12: T-Mobile’s John Legere, 95% approval No. 21: Expedia’s Dara Khosrowshahi, 95% approval No. 23: Zillow’s Spencer Rascoff, 94% approval No. 45: Slalom Consulting’s Brad Jackson, 92% approval” Read more.

Home Prices Soar Again; Some Buyers Camp Out to Lay Claim to a Future Condo

Seattle Times | Mike Rosenberg | June 6

“The row of campers first started settling in Friday night in Belltown. By early Saturday morning, a line of about 130 people stretched around the block. They weren’t waiting for the latest iPhone or the opening of some hot new restaurant; they came with $5,000 checks to reserve new condos that start at more than $300,000 and aren’t opening until 2019. The frenzy over a high-rise residential building that hasn’t even broken ground yet is the latest sign of a Seattle housing market that continues to get even more brutal for homebuyers.” Read more.

New Data from State Superintendent’s Office on College Enrollment and Remediation

Seattle Times | Paige Cornwell | June 3

“Three out of five Washington state students who graduated in 2014 went on to college within one year, and of that group, about a third needed at least one remedial math or English course, according to data released Thursday by the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The state’s post-secondary enrollment numbers have remained steady since 2011. Those numbers include high-school graduates who attend two- or four-year colleges and universities, as well as apprenticeship or certificate programs, within one year of graduation. Eighteen school districts in the Puget Sound region had enrollment percentages higher than the state average.” Read more.