Security fences, a disappearing name, and busy construction crews signal that the so-called “Seattle Stadium” is hitting its World Cup stride.
SEATTLE — Security fences now wrap around Lumen Field in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood, marking the latest and most visible sign yet that the stadium’s $19.4 million FIFA World Cup transformation is well underway.
The barriers were turning heads Tuesday evening as fans made their way to a Seattle Mariners game — and for some, the changes seemed to be moving fast.
“This is definitely new within the last week or so, I feel like,” said Max Gordon, who works in downtown Seattle and was walking to the game with his coworker.
For brothers Max and Charlie, ages 8 and 7, the towering fences sparked a different kind of curiosity.
“My brother can hit a fly ball taller than that fence!” one of them said, sizing up the new barriers. “They’re pretty good. I hope they’re not electric!”
They aren’t. But construction crews and heavy equipment visible behind the fencing made clear that significant work is already underway inside.
The fencing also points to something else — something missing. The Lumen Field name is quietly disappearing from signs around the stadium. Under FIFA’s no-sponsorship rules, the venue will be temporarily rebranded as “Seattle Stadium” for the duration of the tournament.
“It’s interesting that they’re not allowing it to be called Lumen Field,” Gordon said.
The $19.4 million overhaul has been in progress for months. A brand-new natural grass field — replacing the artificial turf the Seahawks and Sounders typically play on — was already installed last June. The new security fencing and coming infrastructure work represent the next phase of that effort.
Next up, crews will begin installing vehicle barriers around the stadium’s perimeter to help protect fans during World Cup matches.
For fans passing through like Jensen Molver, all of it is building toward something worth the disruption.
“Having a world stage to show the spotlight of beautiful Seattle is going to be awesome,” he said.
With a little less than a month of construction still ahead, officials say a lot more changes are expected — both inside and outside the stadium — before FIFA World Cup matches kick off in Seattle this June.
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