Community Preservation and Development Authorities (CPDAs) are entities formed to restore or enhance the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of communities adversely impacted by the construction of, or ongoing operation of, multiple major public facilities, public works, and capital projects with significant public funding or other land use decisions. 

A CPDA must have one or more of the following purposes:

• to revitalize, enhance, and preserve the unique character of impacted communities;
• to mitigate the adverse effects of multiple major public facilities projects, public works projects, or capital projects with significant public funding, a secure community transition facility, or other land use decisions;
• to restore a local area's sense of community;
• to reduce the displacement of community members and businesses;
• to stimulate the community's economic vitality;
• to enhance public service provisions;
• to improve the standard of living of community members; or
• to preserve historic buildings or areas by returning them to economically productive uses that are compatible with or enhance their historic character.

 
Among its other duties, a CPDA has a duty to develop a strategic preservation and development plan to restore and promote the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of the impacted community and to restore and preserve its cultural and historical identity.  A CPDA must establish funding mechanisms to support projects and programs identified and supported in the strategic preservation and development plan.

A CPDA must be managed by a board of directors consisting of members who represent various interests such as business owners, residents, the arts and entertainment community, those with knowledge of the community's culture and history, nonprofit and public planning organizations, and local legislative authorities.

No board member may hold office for more than four years.  The terms for the board of director positions must be staggered as follows:

• board members elected to positions one through five serve two-year terms, and if reelected, may serve no more than one additional two-year term;
• board members initially elected to positions six through 13 serve a three-year term only; and
• board members elected to positions six through 13 after the initial three-year term serve two-year terms, and if reelected, may serve no more than one additional two-year term.

The formation of a CPDA must be authorized by statute.  There are currently two CPDAs that have been authorized:  Pioneer Square-International District CPDA and Central District CPDA.

A CPDA is a public body corporate and politic and instrumentality of the State of Washington.

The terms of the members of the boards of directors for CPDAs are modified as follows:

• the maximum length of time a board member may serve is increased from four years to six years;
• board members elected to positions one through five shall serve three-year terms instead of two-year terms, and if reelected, may serve no more than one additional three-year term instead of a two-year term;
• board members initially elected to positions six through 13 shall serve a two-year term instead of a three-year term and may serve no more than one additional three-year term; and
• board members elected to positions six through 13 after the initially elected members shall serve three-year terms instead of two-year terms, and if reelected, may serve no more than one additional three-year term instead of a two-year term.