Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (SURE) Records, 1956-1965
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (Seattle, Wash.)
- Title
- Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (SURE) Records
- Dates
- 1956-1965 (inclusive)19561965
- Quantity
- 3.0 cubic feet, (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 1642-10
- Summary
- Administrative, committee and project file records of the Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (SURE), a citizen’s advisory committee created to build community support for urban renewal projects with an emphasis on rehabilitation and conservation.
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Washington State Legislature adopted what was known as the Urban Renewal Law in 1957. Shortly afterwards, Seattle City Council adopted ordinance declaring that "blighted areas" existed in the City of Seattle, as defined by the State law. In 1958 the Mayor announced the appointment of Talbot Wegg as Urban Renewal Coordinator for the City of Seattle. The first Citizens' Advisory Committee on Urban Renewal met in 1958. By August the group was known as the Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise or SURE. Its goal was to promote fundraising and increase awareness in the community about housing deterioration and neglect especially where those elements affect the health, safety and well-being of the community. Focus on rehabilitation and conservation. A non-profit corporation was formed in November 1958.
SURE was structured with a Board of Trustees and an Executive Council. Presidents of the Board included Kenneth B. Colman, Walter T. Funk 1961, John L. Wright, 1962-1963, Cal M. McCune, 1963-1964, Donald S. Voorhees, 1964-1965. Lyman Black was appointed president of SURE in March 1965. Annual meetings were held in March.
Ray Baker was hired as Executive Director of SURE in June 1959. Baker was the former Director of the Jackson Street Community Council. Baker resigned in April 1962 due to financial difficulties of SURE. SURE was funded by membership fees and contributions from firms and individuals. Struggling financially, SURE staff were released later in 1962. SURE carried a debt of about $4,000. Mayor Clinton appointed City staff member David Towne of the Office of Urban Renewal as Executive Director.
Throughout its existence, SURE worked closely with the City's Office of Urban Renewal. Talbot Wegg, the first coordinator, resigned in 1963 and was followed by Director John P. Willison. SURE shared office space with the Office of Urban Renewal after it lost its staff in 1962.
SURE was successful in gathering community support, revising the housing code, and initiating federal support for urban renewal projects. SURE was involved in many projects including: the Yesler-Atlantic Urban Renewal Project; the Workable Program, the South Seattle Redevelopment Project, the Community Renewal Program and Cherry Hill. SURE contracted with the City of Seattle to provide advice and counsel to property owners and community organizations and gave a voice to urban renewal in Seattle.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The records of the Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (SURE) are organized into two subseries: Administrative and Committees and Projects. The Administrative Records provide good summaries of SURE activities through annual reports and minutes. The Committee and Project Files present the range of activities, primarily identified by their geographic area, in which SURE was involved.
Within the Administrative records are annual reports, Board minutes and Council minutes, providing the researcher with goals, discussions, and issues facing SURE. In addition to minutes and annual reports, the news releases and news letters provide a good overview of SURE activities. Although SURE identified projects that would be good targets for urban renewal funds, the federal applications had to be approved and written through the City. Communication with City officials regarding urban renewal work can be found in the Administrative subseries.
The Committees and Project Subseries contains records on specific projects in which SURE was involved. The Committee records include committee members, correspondence, newsletters and timelines. The Project files complement the committee records, including correspondence, maps, notices and other project materials. Work with neighborhood councils is reflected here.
Among the first SURE projects was the Yesler Atlantic Project, approved for funding by the federal government in December 1959. The City received funds for survey and planning and for a new junior high school. SURE formed the Yesler-Atlantic Citizens' Conference in 1960 and sponsored clean-up projects, published a newspaper, and provided labor assistance for home owners in need of remodeling or repairs. Within the Yesler Atlantic neighborhood, one of SURE's early projects was a "demonstration house" at 114 21st Ave. It was remodeled and used for SURE offices from 1959 to 1960, demonstrating the value of urban renewal in upgrading and improving existing homes. The largest volume of records in Committees and Projects relate to the Yesler Atlantic project. Other SURE projects reflected in the records include: Cherry Hill, Leschi, University Addition-First Hill and University Addition-Northlake.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle Urban Renewal Enterprise (SURE) Records, Record Series 1642-10. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Records are arranged in three subseries:
I: Administrative
II: Committees
III: Project Files
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Administrative, 1958-1965Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Organization |
1961-1962 |
1/2 | Annual Meeting |
1960 |
1/3 | Annual Meeting and Annual
Reports |
1961-1964 |
1/4 | By Laws |
1958-1963 |
1/5 | Administrative
Reorganization |
1962 |
1/6 | Executive
Committee |
1958-1960 |
1/7 | Executive
Committee |
1961 |
1/8 | Executive Committee Minutes
and Agendas |
1962-1964 |
1/9 | Board of Trustees
Minutes |
1958-1964 |
1/10 | Board of Trustees -
Memoranda |
1959-1962 |
1/11 | Quarterly Reports |
1962-1964 |
1/12 | Correspondence and
Notes |
1961-1964 |
1/13 | Correspondence Long Range
Plans |
1960-1961 |
1/14 | Correspondence and Speeches -
Lyman Black |
1965 |
1/15 | Procedures |
1961 |
1/16 | Account Book |
1958-1962 |
1/17 | Community
Development |
1958-1962 |
1/18 | Contractors -
Approved |
1960 |
Financial |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/19 | Reports
Contractors |
1960-1961 |
1/20 | Reports |
1959-1960 |
1/21 | Internal Revenue Service
- Taxes |
1962-1964 |
1/22 | Non Profit Status
Application |
1960-1962 |
Membership |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/23 | Outreach
Drive |
1959 |
1/24 | Membership |
1961 |
1/25 | Outreach |
1961-1962 |
1/26 | Renewal |
1961 |
1/27 | Membership |
1962 |
1/28 | Membership |
1963 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/1 | Community Organization
Delegates |
1959-1961 |
2/2 | Personnel
Policies |
1961 |
2/3 | Solicitation
Letters |
1960-1961 |
Communication |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2/4 | News Releases |
1962 |
2/5 | News Releases |
1963 |
2/6 | Anti Urban Renewal
Media |
1960 |
2/7 | Bulletins and
Newsletters |
1958-1962 |
2/8 | Newsletters |
1958-1961 |
2/9 | Ballard Urban Renewal
Action Commission (BURAC) |
1961 |
2/10 | Demonstration
House |
1959-1961 |
2/11 | Demonstration House -
Sale |
1961-1962 |
2/12 | Home Emergency Labor
Program (HELP) (includes photographs) |
1960-1961 |
2/13 | Housing Code |
1958-1961 |
2/14 | Housing Code |
1962 |
2/15 | Open House |
1960 |
2/16 | Relocation
Workshop |
1962 |
2/17 | Underground
Wiring |
1964 |
Committees, 1959-1963Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/18 | Lists |
1962 |
2/19 | Administrative
Organization |
1961-1962 |
2/20 | Build America
Better |
1964 |
2/21 | Cherry Hill |
1961-1962 |
2/22 | Code Enforcement |
1961-1962 |
2/23 | Community
Organization |
1960-1962 |
2/24 | Community Renewal
Program |
1963 |
2/25 | Finance |
1958-1961 |
2/26 | Foundation |
1960 |
2/27 | Madison - Minor - Madrona
(M-M-M) |
1961-1962 |
2/28 | Mortgage and
Finance |
- |
2/29 | Neighborhood
Analysis |
1959-1961 |
2/30 | Neighborhood Analysis -
Minutes |
1959-1961 |
2/31 | Nominating |
1959-1963 |
2/32 | One Third |
1961 |
2/33 | Private Renewal |
1962-1963 |
2/34 | Public Relations |
1959-1963 |
2/35 | Relocation
Committee |
1963 |
2/36 | Special Projects |
1959-1961 |
2/37 | Special Study on Proposed
Building Development at 6th & Jackson (Hattori) |
1963 |
3/1 | University Study |
1961 |
3/2 | Ways and Means, Yesler
Atlantic |
1963 |
3/3 | Yesler Atlantic
Correspondence and Reports |
1961-1962 |
3/4 | Yesler Atlantic
Minutes |
1961 |
Project FilesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/5 | Cherry Hill |
1959-1961 |
3/6 | Cherry Hill |
1962-1963 |
3/7 | Cherry Hill Honor Awards
(includes photographs) |
1962-1963 |
3/8 | Community Renewal
Program |
1961-1962 |
3/9 | East Madison / East
Union |
1960 |
3/10 | Leschi |
1959-1963 |
3/11 | Pike Place Plaza |
1961-1964 |
3/12 | Pioneer Square |
1961-1962 |
3/13 | South Seattle
Redevelopment |
1961-1963 |
3/14 | University Addition - First
Hill - Seattle University |
1958-1961 |
3/15 | University Addition - First
Hill - Survey and Planning Application |
1960 |
3/16 | University Addition - First
Hill - Survey Report and Background |
1963 |
3/17 | University Addition - First
Hill - News Articles |
1962-1963 |
3/18 | University Addition -
Northlake |
1960 |
3/19 | University Addition -
Northlake |
1962-1963 |
3/20 | Workable Program for
Community Improvement (includes Citizens' Advisory Committee on Minority
Housing Report Yesler Atlantic) |
1961-1963 |
Yesler Atlantic |
||
Box/Folder | ||
3/21 | Reports |
1956-1957 |
3/22 | Clean-up |
1960 |
3/23 | Correspondence |
1959-1960 |
3/24 | Correspondence |
1960-1961 |
3/25 | Citizens
Committee |
1960-1961 |
3/26 | Citizens
Committee |
1960-1961 |
3/27 | Citizens
Conference |
1960-1962 |
3/28 | Relocation
Study |
1961 |
3/29 | Wash R-5 |
1963 |
3/30 | "T" Project |
1963 |
3/31 | Redevelopment
Corporation |
1960-1961 |
3/32 | Notes and
Correspondence |
1963-1964 |
3/33 | Notes and
Correspondence |
1964-1965 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Advisory boards--Washington (State)--Seattle
- City planning--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Community development--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Urban renewal--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Zoning--Washington (State)--Seattle
Corporate Names
- Seattle (Wash.). Urban Renewal Program
- Yesler-Atlantic Neighborhood Improvement Project (Seattle, Wash.)
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government