On Wednesday, March 26, Mayor Armondo Pavone hosted the 2025 State of the City address. This was the first year the address was held at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport.
The new venue offered a larger reception area that provided several ways to engage with department staff and ask questions about projects and initiatives. Projects and information included the Rainier Ave. Phase 4 project, slurry seal efforts, 2026 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan, Renton Municipal Airport, Zero Waste Plan, Renton Responds, Renton Municipal Arts Commission, Renton Downtown Partnership, and information on a free microchipping program for pets of Renton residents.
This marked the mayor’s third address since taking office in 2020. The speech reflected on the accomplishments of 2024 and future initiatives. The mayor emphasized his excitement for 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Sounders FC Longacres facility in Renton serving as a base camp.
The mayor focused on five key priorities: public safety, development and infrastructure, strengthening social services, city investment and maintenance, and economic development.
Public safety is a top concern for residents and was the first topic in the presentation. The Renton Police Department addresses this through efforts in staffing and dedicated units like the Violent Crime Unit (VCU) to combat juvenile and violent offenders.
Public safety goes beyond law enforcement; it is a shared priority across all city departments. An example of that is Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). This practice involves designing natural environments and amenities, such as shrubs and lighting, in a way to reduce crime and improve the quality of life. This is something the city has started to implement throughout all projects.
In addition, the mayor talked about the city’s infrastructure, development, and investment toward maintenance of our city.
While new development is important, maintaining the city’s infrastructure is vital. Efforts like the Downtown Clean & Safe Initiative, the Paint with Purpose program, and $49 million received in grant funding toward infrastructure maintenance is how we keep our city functional and presentable.
In the current budget, the city has allocated $22 million for capital improvements in transportation, parks and recreation, and city facilities. This includes replacements, renovations, upgrades on our existing infrastructure, and development on existing assets.
Proper staffing is needed for any development. As part of this effort, ensuring departments are staffed with the right types of positions is important in meeting the needs and priorities of the community.
Another of the mayor's priorities is strengthening social services, with initiatives like the Renton Student Health Hub. In partnership with the Renton School District and Health Commons, the hub connects students with behavioral and mental health services when they need them most.
Finally, our state and city are growing, and to accommodate that growth, both residential and commercial developments are needed. Some of those projects include the recently opened 76-unit affordable housing building at Sunset Gardens, the upcoming Solera Phase I project opening later this year, the Rainier-Grady Transit-Oriented Development plan, and the Longacres redevelopment. All these projects will help support the growth in Renton.
Photos from the event are available on the city’s Canto account and the full State of the City presentation video will be available early next week on Channel 21 and the city’s YouTube channel.
Thank you to the Renton High School Step Team, Unity Elite, for providing the introduction entertainment; Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, Cugini Florists and Fine Gifts for the floral arrangements; and all the dedicated residents, partners, business owners, and leaders of our city who attended.
Stay updated on the mayor’s priorities and a recap of the address on Your Voice Renton.