KUOW - Could fewer shops lead to lower housing costs in Washington? Gov. Ferguson hopes so

When developers build apartments in pedestrian-heavy areas, many cities require restaurants or retail on the ground floor. The idea is to encourage people to walk, rather than drive, to shop and dine.

But developers often lose money on those storefronts, and those costs get passed on to renters through higher housing prices.

So Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested a bill making it illegal for cities to require storefront spaces in new apartment buildings. Instead, developers could add more apartments, or amenities for tenants like gyms and rec rooms.