Axios Seattle

March 16, 2026
It's Monday! Let's get the week going.
🌧️ Today's weather: Light rain, with a high of 57 and a low of 49.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Seattle member Margaret Achterman!
Today's newsletter is 990 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Blocking ICE detention centers
As federal officials seek to add immigration detention space, Seattle and other nearby cities are pushing back.
The big picture: Several local governments have approved measures to block new detention centers in recent weeks — part of a broader resistance to the Trump administration's mass deportation policy.
Catch up quick: Last week, the Seattle City Council passed an emergency one-year moratorium on new or expanded detention facilities within city limits.
- King County, Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton and Kent recently approved similar measures.
- The Pierce County Council is considering a six-month moratorium on detention facilities in a committee hearing Tuesday.
Context: The ordinances come after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a pre-solicitation notice in December seeking industry feedback on a potential detention facility in the Seattle area.
- ICE has not committed to moving forward with such a facility, which would be run by a private contractor, according to the notice.
What they're saying: "We know that detention centers are sites of serious harm," said Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who sponsored the city's moratorium, at a council meeting last week.
- "Any expansion of them will only enable this federal regime to ramp up their inhumane and in many cases illegal enforcement actions," Rinck said.
The other side: Federal officials are working to expand detention space nationwide to support "the largest deportation effort in American history," ICE told Axios in an unattributed statement.
Yes, but: The agency has no new detention facilities to announce in Washington state, the statement said.
- Any potential sites would undergo community impact studies to ensure "no detrimental impacts on local utilities or infrastructure," per the agency.
What's next: Cities and counties are using the temporary pause to develop permanent regulations for any future detention centers.
- The goal is to ensure that "any detention facility must meet minimum standards" — such as guaranteeing detainees access to health care and legal counsel, Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin said at last week's council meeting.
2. 🏢 Uneven downtown recovery
Downtown Seattle is drawing more residents, local visitors and event crowds, but its office economy is still struggling, according to a report released last week.
By the numbers: The 10 highest-value downtown office properties have seen assessed values drop by more than 50% since 2021, according to the Downtown Seattle Association's annual economic report.
- Office vacancy remains high at 25%, exceeding 32% in the central business district.
- Downtown lost about 13,000 jobs in 2025, the largest annual decline since the early pandemic.
- Average weekday worker foot traffic reached about 145,000 in 2025, up nearly 4% from the previous year, but still only 64% of 2019 levels.
State of play: Crime and public safety metrics showed a mixed bag, per the report from the business advocacy association.
- There were 27% fewer fentanyl-related overdose deaths last year compared with 2024.
- Violent crime in the downtown core fell 14% year over year in 2025 and 33% from the 2021 peak.
- However, Belltown saw violent crime rise 24%, and incidents in the Chinatown–International District remained elevated.
Yes, but: The residential population remains a bright spot with nearly 110,000 people — or about one in seven Seattle residents — now living downtown, an 80% increase since 2010.
- More than 15 million people came downtown in 2025, with overall visits increasing by roughly 3 million year over year.
- Locals are also visiting more often: about 1.28 million people who live within 10 miles came downtown last year.
What's next: Seattle leaders see 2026 as a pivotal year, with FIFA World Cup matches expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and new light rail connections expanding access to downtown.
3. Morning Buzz: Washington captain killed
The Department of Defense has identified Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington as one of six U.S. Air Force service members killed last week when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. (KING 5)
🥯 Blazing Bagels, a Seattle-area chain founded in 2001, abruptly closed all five of its retail shops this week after already shutting down its wholesale business in December. (Seattle Times)
🏒 Bobby McMann scored two goals in his Seattle debut to help the Kraken beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Saturday night. (FOX 13)
4. 💚 Get your green on
Even if you missed Seattle's St. Patrick's Day parade over the weekend, there's still time to get lucky over the next two days.
🍀 Head north for the St. Patrick's Celebration at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell with live music, a bagpiper Irish-themed food and drink across the campus.
🎻 Celebrate with live music, food and beer at the Kells St. Patrick's Irish Festival near Pike Place Market. $20 for a two-day pass.
☘️ Make the downtown rounds during the "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" bar crawl tomorrow. A $26 wristband gets you no-cover entry and drink specials.
🍻Start at Ozzie's in Lower Queen Anne for the Seattle Official St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, with drink specials and stops near Seattle Center.
5. ⚾️ New challenge system
Major League Baseball is debuting the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System to reduce missed calls on balls and strikes this season.
Why it matters: It aims to improve fairness on borderline judgements, especially in critical situations.
State of play: This technology-assisted review system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022.
What they're saying: Doug Maurer, director of communications for the Charlotte Knights, a Triple-A team, tells Axios the change will bring an "added entertainment element" to baseball.
- "Anytime there's a challenge, the fans' attention is immediately focused on the video board."
What we're watching: How the ABS challenge system might affect close calls for the Mariners this season.
- Opening day at T-Mobile Park is March 26, with the Mariners playing the Cleveland Guardians.
🧢 Melissa is excited for the upcoming baseball season.
🌸 Clarridge is enjoying the cherry blossoms.
This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.
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