SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council approved a resolution establishing support for redevelopment of Memorial Stadium in a meeting on Tuesday.
The measure passed 8-1 with Councilmember Kshama Sawant being the one dissenting vote.
The stadium, built 75 years ago and owned by Seattle Public Schools (SPS), could be transformed into a new open-air, multi-purpose venue in the heart of the city.
The city and SPS jointly issued requests for proposals in March, and two bids are under consideration.
The two bids are from the One Roof Partnership and JLL and Poag Development Group partnership. The One Roof Partnership includes the One Roof Foundation, which serves as the philanthropic arm of the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.
The vision from One Roof Partnership is to "transform Memorial Stadium into a community-centered facility that prioritizes and serves the students of SPS and honors the unique history of the building anchoring the Seattle Center campus. In addition to hosting year-round student events, this state-of-the-art facility will be home for the next generation of celebrations and gatherings that promote equity in our community and support Seattle Center’s Century 21 Master Plan for an open and vibrant campus."
The vision from JLL and Poag is to redevelop Memorial Stadium is to create "a larger, vibrant entertainment district within Seattle Center; connected to and complementing existing icons and destinations for sports, music, arts, food, and culture within walking distance; and creating elevated experiences and opportunities for young athletes, student internships, community clinics and services, job training, and employment."
The full proposal from JLL and Poag can be read here.
The full proposal from One Roof Partnership can be read here.
The proposals will be evaluated and interviews will be conducted over the coming weeks by city staff and community representatives. A decision is expected to be announced by Mayor Bruce Harrell and SPS Superintendent Brent Jones by late May, with the final agreement pending city council and SPS School Board action.
Built in 1946-47, Memorial Stadium was dedicated to students who lost their lives fighting in World War II.
Per the resolution, the vision for the re-development is "a financially sustainable state-of-the-art venue of prominent design centered on students and youth, fully integrated with the Seattle Center campus."
The stadium will be required to satisfy Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association standards and hold a minimum of 8,000 seats.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and SPS Superintendent Brent Jones will have final say on the selection of a proposal, with hopes of having the project completed by December 2027.
The measure passed out of the council's Governance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee on Monday.