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SEATTLE - After welcoming more than 1 million visitors during the FIFA World Cup, shattering Sound Transit records, Seattle Center is at the center of a new conversation: Should the city's iconic civic campus undergo a major makeover?
Seattle Center Director Randy Engstrom said the tournament showcased the campus at its very best, transforming it into an international gathering place and demonstrating its potential for the future.
"How do we keep this energy going? How do we keep the World Cup excitement going," asked Engstrom.
World Cup crowds showcased Seattle Center's role
Engstrom said Seattle Center became a destination not only on match days, but throughout the tournament as fans from around the world gathered on the campus.
"We had thousands of people in the Armory. Over ten thousand people outside at the Mural Stage," he said of the U.S. men's national team's match Monday.
At different points during the tournament, Engstrom said entire fan communities embraced Seattle Center. International consulates like Mexico and Korea even set up shop.
FIFA World Cup 2026 crowds at Seattle Center
What they're saying:
"We were sort of adopted by whole nations at different times," he said. "I think what the World Cup showed us is there is a tremendous appetite for people to come together and be together."
Proposal calls for modernization, not replacement
The crowds have also renewed attention on a proposal introduced by Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka last month that envisions significant investments in Seattle Center over the coming years.
"This is a challenging economic climate for a lot of reasons," he acknowledged. "But I think that there is a lot of love for this place," he said.
He also pointed to Seattle Center's broader economic impact. Pointing at the $3.3 billion dollars in economic output annually. As well as $37 million in tax dollars pumped back into the city.
"An investment in Seattle Center is an investment in the health and well-being of the city for the next decades to come," he argued.
Century 21 (MOHAI)
The proposal would preserve Century 21 landmarks, including the Monorail and International Fountain, while modernizing other parts of the campus.
"I think what happens in the future isn't about erasing what's been here before, but it is about modernizing it, about making it safer, more energy efficient and sort of making it brighter and more accessible," said Engstrom.
Century 21 (MOHAI)
Councilmember Saka argued the upgrades would also be important to helping bring the NBA's SuperSonics back to Seattle.
For Engstrom, the World Cup offered more than a successful summer event. He said it provided a vision for what Seattle Center could become for decades to come.
"I think it's about capturing that lightning in a bottle that the World Cup was and letting that be an engine for what this place could be for the next 65 years," he said. "To make sure my daughter, who’s 10, gets to grow up and experience this place the way I have for the next 30 years."
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