Seattle City Light Leases Georgetown Steam Plant to Local Non-Profit

Thanks to Mary M.

by Nathan MacDonald on August 25, 2021

1906 steam plant to become a museum and cultural center

Seattle City Light has signed a long-term lease and operating agreement with the newly formed Georgetown Steam Plant Community Development Authority (GTSPCDA), a non-profit organization dedicated to continued public use and restoration of the building. The agreement allows the GTSPCDA to assume programming and operations of the Georgetown Steam Plant, a nationally recognized and historically significant landmark in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood in the heart of the Duwamish Valley. 

The GTSPCDA intends to increase programming hours as permitted and tackle the restoration in phases, resulting in a community-centered and interactive space where arts, culture, education and science collide. Sam Farrazaino is the lead of the GTSPCDA team and is building on his past successes of redeveloping industrial properties for arts and cultural uses. As founder of Equinox Studios, Farrazaino has championed affordable space for artists and artisans and fostered an engaged relationship with the Georgetown community and beyond.  

“Partnerships like the one between the GTSPCDA and City Light are what our communities are asking for,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “The Georgetown Steam Plant will intersect our city’s rich history with arts, culture and education and provide an example of how public entities and non-profits can collaborate to empower their communities.