Everett council approves initial funding, property actions to advance downtown outdoor event center

Everett — The Everett City Council voted Wednesday to move forward on the Everett Outdoor Event Center, approving $4.8 million in initial funding and a series of contracts and acquisition steps intended to keep the AquaSox and a proposed U.S. soccer partner in downtown Everett.

Council members approved the first set of actions related to the project — including initial budget appropriations for planning and property option funds, an ordinance authorizing acquisition including eminent domain as a last resort, and professional services and design-build agreements — after a two-hour public comment period and a staff briefing that laid out a projected “game-ready” budget of about $82 million.

The council’s action clears the way for property negotiations, more detailed design work and lease negotiations with private partners. “It’s time we raise the bar,” Scott Pattison, city staff lead on the project, told the council. “This is not just another project. It’s a bold statement.”

Why this matters: City staff and their consultants said the downtown site could deliver a multiuse outdoor facility that would host baseball (AquaSox), a U.S. Soccer League (USL) team and year-round events. Consultants described a funding mix intended to limit the city’s operating burden by securing private capital and long-term leases; residents and business owners raised concerns about displacement, property acquisition, and whether the estimated $82 million total cost is realistic.

What the council approved and what it means - Initial budget and appropriation: Council passed Ordinance (council bill 2505-30) to establish a $4,800,000 special improvement project fund to pay for planning, legal, design and initial property acquisition work. That vote was 6–1 (Council member Tuohy voted no). Staff described the $4.8 million as money to advance site design to roughly 60% and to exercise property options and initial negotiations. - Property acquisition authority: The council adopted an ordinance authorizing acquisition and the exercise of eminent domain if negotiations fail (council bill 2505-32). Pattison said the imminent domain ordinance is intended to incentivize voluntary sales by offering tax advantages and to provide a pathway if agreements cannot be reached. The vote was 6–1 (Tuohy no). - Contracts and consultants: Council approved several professional services and design-builder agreements to advance site surveys, relocation planning and preliminary construction design. The council selected Bailey Construction (award: $2,901,602 plus sales tax) as the design-builder and authorized Kimley Horn and other consultants to manage relocation outreach and property appraisal work. - Public–private delivery exploration: The council adopted a resolution to select Public Facilities Group (PFG) as the third‑party facilitator to explore a public–private partnership model similar in form to a 63‑20 partnership (taxable bonds were anticipated for this project). The resolution passed unanimously.

Discussion highlights and open questions - Cost and scope: Staff and consultant Ben Franz (SOJ) presented an overall cost framework that totaled about $82 million: roughly $42 million in hard construction costs, $20 million in soft costs and a placeholder of $20 million for property acquisition. Franz said that at the $42 million hard‑cost level the stadium would support about 3,500 seats but likely include up to 1,500 in temporary bleachers for initial operations. - Revenue model: Pattison and staff described multiple revenue sources under negotiation: tickets taxes, concession and naming-rights revenue, and capital contributions from private sport partners. Pattison said private partners had committed to a “range of upfront capital contributions” and to assume much of day‑to‑day operations. He and council members said more detailed lease and pro‑forma work is needed and will be provided before any larger financial commitment. - Property acquisition and relocation: Council approved a Kimley Horn agreement for relocation and property outreach work. Council members and business owners pressed for clear, early relocation plans and for staff to provide firm timelines. City staff said construction, at the earliest, would begin in Q1 2026 and that relocation planning would proceed well ahead of any demolition or construction. “We are committed to relocating businesses,” consultant Ben Franz said, and the city emphasized that relocation assistance would follow the Uniform Relocation Assistance standards. - Risk and contingency: The project team described a 10% contingency within the total project budget and said progressive design‑build delivery, plus partner commitments, are intended to limit cost growth and provide a guaranteed maximum price at a later stage.

Public comment and council reaction More than a dozen residents, business owners, sports representatives and team officials spoke during the public comment period. Supporters — including representatives from the AquaSox, the USL partner and local soccer and college coaches — said the facility would support year‑round events and help revive downtown. Opponents and several downtown business owners asked for stronger relocation guarantees and questioned the project’s cost assumptions and financing timeline; one business owner described construction impacts already experienced during preliminary site work.

Council votes and next steps The council approved the initial budget appropriation (council bill 2505-30), the budget amendment ordinance for the project, the ordinance authorizing acquisition (including eminent domain), several consultant agreements, the selection of a design‑builder and the selection of Public Facilities Group to continue exploring a public‑private delivery model. Several motions passed 6–1 with Council member Tuohy voting no on a subset of the measures; the public‑facilities selection passed unanimously.

Council members asked staff to return with a fuller pro‑forma, firm partner commitments tied to the 60% design milestone, and a detailed relocation plan and timeline for affected businesses. Staff said they will deliver a final packet and supporting materials to the council in advance of the next council meeting and that site design will advance to 60% before larger capital commitments are finalized.

Ending note: The project cleared key procedural and funding hurdles to move into detailed design and property acquisition. But the largest questions — final public‑private financing terms, the precise cost of acquisition and relocation, and the structure of lease revenue — remain to be finalized in forthcoming staff reports and lease negotiations.