With a possible NBA return to Climate Pledge Arena on the horizon, city leaders say now is the time to invest in the aging Seattle Center campus.
SEATTLE — Seattle city leaders say Seattle Center is showing its age, and they want voters to help pay to fix it.
Mayor Katie Wilson and Councilmember Rob Saka are pushing to secure funding to restore and revitalize the iconic campus ahead of a possible 2027 bond measure. Saka has described the area as “dated” and “crumbling fast.”
Some signs of wear are visible across the grounds. In the courtyard by Pacific Science Center, decades-old pools sit empty due to degrading plumbing. City officials say the proposal would also fund projects like the Armory renovation and expansions to the Veterans Memorial. It also urges a partnership with Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities to transition the campus toward sustainable, carbon-neutral operations.
The details and the price tag are still unclear, but officials say they want to get ahead of needed repairs now, particularly as momentum builds around a possible Seattle SuperSonics return to Climate Pledge Arena.
Locals and visitors had mixed reactions to the proposal.
Joe McGee, visiting Seattle Center from Cape Cod for the first time, expressed appreciation for what the campus already offers. “It’s been around for 63 years, if the math is correct,” McGee said. Still, he stopped short of fully endorsing the investment. “If the powers that be want to put some money into the area, then okay,” he said, “but to me as an outsider, it’s very welcoming, very clean.”
Lydia Deatherage, who lives near Seattle Center, said she supports preserving what makes it special. “If they have to do any improvements just to maintain the integrity of what it is, it would be awesome,” she said. She added that the broader investment strategy ahead of the possible Sonics return makes sense to her. “I’m all for it,” Deatherage said. “It seems kind of like spending money to make money, which I’m not against.”
Seattle Center has been a fixture of the city since the 1962 World’s Fair, drawing locals and tourists to landmarks including the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center for more than six decades.
Large-scale public investment in Seattle Center’s infrastructure has not occurred since 1991.
The Transportation, Waterfront and Seattle Center Committee is scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on the proposal Thursday at 9:30 a.m., with a full City Council vote potentially taking place as early as June 2.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
