Seattle Public Schools, city officials announce potential partnership to redevelop Memorial Stadium
SEATTLE - Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and city officials announced that they are working on a partnership deal that will allow them to redevelop the aging Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center.
According to the City of Seattle’s Thursday announcement, Mayor Bruce Harrell and SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones will begin discussions with One Roof Partnership to build a new $150 million facility capable of holding 10,000 people. The goal is to have the project completed by 2026.
Work on creating a new stadium first began in 2017.
"The potential of a partner provides for a significantly enhanced facility beyond what SPS could develop on its own, prioritizing a broad range of athletics, graduation ceremonies and other events for future generations. The City and community, too, would benefit from a new multi-use stadium, achieving some key goals of Seattle Center’s Century 21 Master Plan for an open and vibrant campus," officials with the Seattle Center said in a press release.
Officials say SPS will still own the facility and maintain priority use, though it will also be used for community, arts and culture events.
One Roof Partnership, which is made up of One Roof Foundation, the Seattle Kraken and Oak View Group, was one of two respondents to the city-issued request for proposals (RFP).
Mayor Harrell and Dr. Jones released the following joint statement, in part:
We have carefully considered the recommendation of the Memorial Stadium Advisory Panel, and agree that One Roof Partnership’s proposal makes a promising case for a potential partnership with a strong understanding of our values, a bold vision for an innovative new stadium, and which comes closest to meeting the requirements, goals and student-centered focus of the RFP.
As a potential partner, One Roof Partnership proposes a philanthropic funding approach, rather than a commercial enterprise. This unique approach best reflects community, with an emphasis on creating new opportunities for students and youth from all backgrounds, and has promise to be a great enhancement to the Seattle Center campus.
SPS students and community members will be able to provide input to help shape the planning and design of the stadium.