Harrell Issues Executive Order To Address Seattle’s Food Deserts

Mayor Bruce Harrell has issued an Executive Order directing the City of Seattle to take immediate and long-term steps to address food deserts and ensure residents citywide have reliable access to affordable groceries and medicine. The order comes in response to the recent closure of the Fred Meyer store at 13000 Lake City Way NE, which left the Lake City neighborhood without a full-service grocery store.

 “As mayor, I am fighting for every neighborhood in Seattle to have access to affordable food and medicine, which is essential for the health and safety of the people of our city,” Harrell said. “This solution-focused Executive Order explores all options available to the City to ensure our children, older adults, people with mobility issues, and families have equitable access to fresh, local, affordable, and culturally relevant food and medicine.”

The Executive Order instructs multiple city departments to identify neighborhoods currently facing or at risk of becoming food deserts due to the closure of grocery stores, convenience stores, or pharmacies. It also directs the City to explore acquiring strategic properties, including the recently closed Fred Meyer site in Lake City, to support future grocery or pharmacy use in the area.

Other actions in the order include developing legislation to adjust land use, zoning, and permitting rules to encourage new grocery and pharmacy openings, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. The City will also engage with grocery and pharmacy industry leaders, community organizations, and other stakeholders to assess the causes of store closures and the economic barriers facing communities like Lake City.

The Executive Order includes a directive to add provisions to the City’s 2026 State Legislative Agenda, calling for a statewide ban on restrictive covenants and use restrictions that prevent grocery stores or pharmacies from reopening in vacated commercial spaces. It also proposes changes to the state’s business and occupation tax structure to exempt these essential services.

“Prioritizing food access is both timely and necessary,” said Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. “I appreciate the Mayor’s thoughtful proposal and it’s a proactive step to ensure that all Seattle neighborhoods have equitable access to fresh, healthy food and don’t become food deserts.”

The order builds on recent legislative and budgetary initiatives focused on food access. Earlier this month, emergency legislation was introduced to ban restrictive covenants that prevent grocery and pharmacy use. The Mayor’s Proposed 2026 Budget includes nearly $12 million in new food-related investments, a 20 percent increase over previous funding.

The proposed investments include an additional $6 million for Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, $3 million in support for local food banks, and $1 million to address retail theft and property damage affecting grocery stores. Another $1 million will fund year-round access to prepared hot meals for youth, seniors, unhoused residents, and others in need. The budget also includes $700,000 to support the opening and expansion of small businesses offering fresh food and cultural essentials, and over $300,000 to extend the Lake City Farmers Market by 15 additional weeks annually with a long-term goal of shifting to Saturdays.