Joshua McNichols
Growth and Development Reporter
About
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
Joshua holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington. Public Radio is his second career; architecture was his first. He is proud of the many odd jobs he's held in his life, such as salmon fisher, author, bike courier, and bed-and-breakfast cook.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him
Professional Affiliations: The Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Stories
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Sports
Pickleball is growing. Is Seattle ready?
Seattle just hosted the All Star Game and Taylor Swift. But this week, another big event is drawing a crowd. It’s a pickleball tournament called the Seattle Open. Pickleball was invented on Bainbridge Island, and it’s become the fastest growing sport in the country. The tournament has exposed strong opinions about how to accommodate all the new players.
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New Washington law could make condos less expensive, but are buyers less protected?
Everybody wants housing they can afford. Lawmakers have tried many strategies to give that to people. One is to bring the cost of homes down by reducing the price developers pay for things like insurance. A new bill that went into effect this week aims to do that. But not everyone’s happy about it.
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Industry, entertainment, and offices but no housing: The contentious future of Seattle's Stadium District
Industrial Lands – got some big new protections in Seattle this week. The new zoning rules add restrictions to some industrial areas, but allow new kinds of development in others. But lingering disagreements over the plan’s compromises aren’t going away. Especially around the sports stadiums in SODO.
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Big money backs new Judkins Park housing project
Wealthy investors get a federal tax break for investing in so-called Opportunity Zones, such as the one near the Judkins Park light rail station in Seattle's Central Area.
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Wealthy investors get housing tax breaks if they build in certain parts of Seattle
It’s part of a federal program to encourage investment in so-called "Opportunity Zones" like the Rainier Valley. Today, local leaders celebrated one project under construction.
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Business
Downtown Seattle businesses prepare for MLB All-Star visitor surge
Even the yarn store expects a rush.
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Government
AI, design me a thriving downtown Seattle
Mayor Harrell uses AI to build enthusiasm for Space-Needle-sized ideas for downtown Seattle. But protesters almost drowned him out.
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Government
Mayor, protesters clash over downtown priorities
We have more details about Mayor Harrell’s plan to revitalize downtown Seattle. He has a vision for the neighborhood to be vibrant. Full of life and activities. A place where people feel safe. But the reality is a lot more complicated. KUOW Growing Paind
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Government
Seattle may ease path for community groups to develop properties
On Monday, the Seattle City Council will consider a suite of new reforms that could make it easier for institutions led by communities of color to develop new buildings.
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Government
Seattle 'streamlines' environmental review for some downtown buildings
The approval process just got faster for certain construction projects in downtown Seattle. The city council voted to cut down on environmental reviews for small and medium-sized projects in the area.