HILLMAN CITY development project

As a coalition of community organizations rooted deeply in the neighborhoods of Southeast Seattle, the MCC has placed a stake in Hillman City by having invested in a parcel of land on which we are aiming to build our collective future.

We recently selected this site out of a sense of defiance and hope as part of our disaster gentrification strategy. This is part of our resolve that hard-working people and whole communities should not be forced to move from the neighborhoods they helped to build and that monied interests not erode the cultural depth and richness of our Rainier Valley community.

While MCC is fighting to prevent displacement for our cultural anchor organizations, we are also fighting to anchor 8 Black, immigrant, and refugee small businesses that withstood COVID and were at grave risk of displacement. The businesses operating at this location include the following: Massawa Eritrean Restaurant (2018), Marka Cadey Tailor (2014) One-Stop Fashion (2017), Harameyn Grocery (2015), Baltimore Barbar Shop (2012) T. International Business (2018).

MCC will be conducting community visioning sessions as we work on developing the site to include some of our other project elements.

CULTURLA INOVANTION CENTER (CIC)

The driving force behind the MCC is  to create a cultural home, a safe and welcoming space for the culturally rich and diverse communities of  Southeast Seattle. The Cultural Innovation Center will provide a gathering space for cultural celebrations and events that are vital to the identity and connectedness of immigrant, refugee, and people of color communities; a space in which to celebrate cultural festivals featuring music, dance, hands-on exploration, food, intergenerational activities, and more; a space in which community members displaced from Southeast Seattle and those anchoring in place can document, create and share their history and lived experiences through writing, performance, and visual arts; a space for storytelling and curated art works that tell the history of our peoples, the stories of our lives in the Rainier Valley and the vision and aspirations we hold for the future; a space to host and create access to the arts and cultural exhibits that are solely available in venues north of I-90; and a space that will serve as a  meeting, advocacy/empowerment and gathering venue in which people can discuss emerging issues and determine our shared future.  

The Cultural Innovation Center will also serve as a Creative Economy space in which artists, cultural nonprofits, and creative small businesses will produce and distribute cultural goods and services that generate jobs, revenue, and quality of life – endorsing the proven notion that a thriving cultural sector leads to thriving communities.

CO-WORKING SPACE

 In a region marked by disparities and inequities, MCC’s member organizations provide services that create new opportunities and address the frontline needs of families and individuals who are fighting to hold on to their place in this community. People who are striving to build good quality of life here in the Rainier Valley.

MCC’s ‘Shared Co-working Space’ will anchor cultural institutions serving immigrants, refugees, and people of color by creating a multicultural service delivery hub. Such services will focus on youth and family education, aging and social services, advocacy, case management, workforce development, wellbeing programs, and more - all the vital services that help community prosper in place. 

Our Co-working space will serve as a model for economies of scale through co-location and integration of services for increased organizational capacity, efficiency, and infrastructure. With lower administrative and overhead costs through shared ownership and shared programing, MCC member organizations will be able to invest more into all the vital services that help community prosper in place.