▁required ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁council ▁to ▁allow ▁ 2 4 - hour ▁public ▁access ▁and ▁a ▁" free ▁speech ▁zone " ▁on ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁new ▁dow nt own ▁headquarters ▁campus ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁an ▁al ley ▁vac ation ; ▁other ▁benefits ▁include ▁pay ing ▁$ 3 . 4 ▁million ▁in ▁fair ▁market ▁value ▁for ▁the ▁al ley , ▁a ▁public ▁hill - cl imb , ▁and ▁b icy cle ▁lan es . ▁ ▁The ▁threat ▁of ▁re jection ▁of ▁a ▁street ▁vac ation ▁for ▁political ▁reasons ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁halt ▁projects ▁in ▁the ▁Seattle ▁area . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Mayor ▁Mike ▁McG inn ' s ▁recommendation ▁to ▁den y ▁a ▁street ▁vac ation ▁for ▁Wh ole ▁Food s ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁store ▁in ▁West ▁Seattle ▁delayed ▁the ▁project ▁until ▁an ▁approved ▁vac ation ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁threat ▁of ▁a ▁re jection ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁of ▁an ▁al ley ▁vac ation ▁for ▁the ▁Hy att ▁Reg ency ▁Seattle , ▁at ▁the ▁beh est ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁hotel ▁workers ▁union , ▁forced ▁the ▁developer ▁to ▁scale ▁back ▁the ▁project , ▁also ▁dro pping ▁the ▁proposed ▁public ▁benefit ▁of ▁afford able ▁housing ▁units . ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁basketball ▁ar ena ▁in ▁Seattle ▁was ▁blocked ▁by ▁a ▁denied ▁street ▁vac ation ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁after ▁concerns ▁from ▁the ▁Port ▁of ▁Seattle ▁over ▁the ▁street ' s ▁fre ight ▁use . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁a