As the Chinatown International District (CID) held it's annual Night Market, bringing in thousands throughout the day to the heart of the neighborhood -- busine
As the Chinatown International District (CID) held its annual Night Market, bringing in thousands throughout the day to the heart of the neighborhood, business leaders and owners alike explain that there's still much to be done to bring in consistent visitors and customers.
According to the CID Business Improvement Area, foot traffic is up 12% in 2026, compared to 2025. That figure, says Tuyen Than, the Executive Director of CID BIA, comes despite a lackluster showing of crowds from the FIFA World Cup this summer.
However, that figure fails to reach pre-pandemic levels, per Than, who counters by saying there's resiliency in the district.
"Obviously there are still more challenges every day, just the cost of labor, cost of supplies and stock and things like that," said Than. "But I also know that we're working as closely as possible with the city of Seattle and [Office of Economic Development] to figure out some solutions," she added.
Than also acknowledged that public safety concerns have contributed to businesses being held back from really flourishing in the neighborhood in recent years.
"I would say the day-to-day traffic, yes, it has been impacting, but there are also a lot of factors as well," she explained. "Public safety is a huge issue that requires a lot of short-term and long-term solutions," Than said.
Among some of those solutions is an improvement in police response times.
"Sometimes a business will call 911, and they won't show up for hours, and the thing is, what we're being told is [to] call 911 no matter what," explained Than, "But if they don't show up, then the trust deteriorates."
Conversely, she pointed to the Night Market as a signifier that people are still willing to come to the district, which provides a small boost in confidence for the future.
"They're seeing a version of the CID that's safe, that's vibrant, and they're spending money, and little by little, people are seeing that this neighborhood is safe and there are people here," Than said.
However, it's a lack of consistency of foot traffic and those kinds of boosts in confidence that concerns businesses on the ground the most.
"You could kind of just see, without even knowing that everyone's struggling a little bit, especially in the mornings on the weekdays," stated Hai Trang, whose family owns Baegopa Korean BBQ in the CID. "Weekend nights don't even feel like weekend nights anymore down in Chinatown," he said.
Trang says that business rebounded well after the pandemic, from 2022 to 2024; however, from 2024 through the present day, it's been a much different story.
"I just think people are changing where they're spending their time and their money, honestly," said Trang, who felt the large crowds for the Night Market were a bittersweet sight. "I feel like a lot of people are walking around, but no one's really buying anything," he added.
As for the rest of the contributing factors, he mainly pointed to one thing.
"I think like 12th and Jackson doesn't help anything, especially all the business out there," he said.
The intersection just a few blocks from Trang's business, at 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street, has been the site of an open-air drug market for years, plaguing the businesses and residents living in the CID's Little Saigon.
Drug use, drug deals, as well as fencers - or people who knowingly buy and sell stolen goods for profit - have commandeered the intersection, much to the ire of those working and living nearby.
A situation that appears to have only been getting worse as of late, according to locals.
"I just drove by [South] Jackson [Street] about an hour ago, and people are spilling out of the sidewalks onto the streets, engaged in fentanyl use and illegal sales of goods and drug sales," stated Tanya Woo, who is a 5th-generation CID resident and advocate for the neighborhood. Her family also owns and operates Kau Kau BBQ Restaurant.
Woo previously lost by hundreds of votes to become a city councilmember for her District 2 in 2023, before becoming an appointed councilmember to fill an empty citywide seat left in 2024. She then ran to keep the seat, but lost to current councilmember Alexis Mercedes-Rinck. She has remained a voice for the neighborhood since.
Regarding the intersection in Little Saigon, Woo says that a $1.1 million one-time investment by the Mayor's office in June, which launched a 3-month focused effort into addressing 12th and S Jackson Street, fell short of expectations.
"We just finished a 90-day emphasis... but if you ask any of the businesses, do you feel an impact? Do you feel like anything's changed? And nothing's changed," Woo claimed.
She states that economic viability in the CID can only be achieved once public safety is addressed, for the neighborhood that features thousands of elderly residents and specific problem areas, like in Little Saigon, that deter visitors within the region.
"Things like seeing more resource officers, the CARE team, more addiction treatment, mental health professionals," Woo said when talking about meaningful investments from the city.
Recently, Mayor Katie Wilson proposed her 2027-2028 biennium budget, which featured major increases for public safety - including a $68 million increase for the police department and over 60 new funded officer positions.
The proposal also included $72.6 million for the city’s CARE Department, which serves as the third branch of public safety, and dispatches in place of traditional police officers to "conduct welfare checks, de-escalate community members who are experiencing a crisis, and connect folks to resources like shelter, treatment, transportation, food, water, and clothing," per their website.
"We are excited and hopeful, especially with the new budgets with the city and the county, hoping that there will be some new ideas that will help bring back economic vitality to this area," Woo said, giving cautious hope toward the current budget's proposal, as it still faces revisions and ratification by the city council.
Despite the complex issues playing out just two blocks from his business, Hyan Ho, the owner of International Lobster Rolls, says that he says he doesn't face many issues due to 12th Ave and S Jackson St.
Much of that, he says, can be attributed to the fact that a majority of his customers are tourists, so they're not as keen on the surrounding area as locals are. He also notes he has not been subject to vandalism, property damage, or harassment from unhoused people near his storefront.
"I think a lot of it kind of stays up in that area because you don't really see that it trickling down here a lot; it kind of ends at the parking lot behind me here, right?" said Ho. "And then it kind of picks up down by the [light rail] station."
However, Ho also stated that he was raised in Seattle and spent much of his youth in the CID, which is a source of passion and pride. It's why he opened his restaurant in the first place in 2025. It's also why he says that 12th Ave and S Jackson St must be addressed for the betterment of the entire neighborhood.
"It needs to be taken care of like 10 years ago; it's done a lot of harm for Little Saigon," he said,
He stressed that more police officers will not inherently solve the problems playing out at the intersection, and rather, that legitimate change has to be made from an enforcement standpoint for drug activity, and treatment for those with substance problems.
"Stricter laws so that they can, people can be removed from that area and give them the option of getting treatment," said Ho, "And I don't mean treatment as you go in there at [your own] will and then you [go], for a day, and then you're like, 'Oh, I don't want to be here anymore' [and] you leave. Like it's going to be for a long time for treatment, right? Or, you know, go to jail if the crime fits," he added.
Immediately following the end of the interview with Ho, the KOMO News crew walked outside and witnessed a man throwing a rock at a nearby EV pickup truck across the intersection, then using his arm to continue trying to break through the window.
Our crew pointed the camera at the man, who continued the attempted break-in for several more seconds before noticing our camera and running west down South King Street. It did not appear anything was taken from the truck.
