Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Everett council adopts priorities for outdoor event center, adds transportation and labor commitments
Loading...
Summary
The Everett City Council unanimously adopted an amended resolution on Dec. 10 that frames priorities for the proposed outdoor event center, including labor standards, environmental stewardship, cultural recognition and added language directing transportation demand management to encourage walking, biking and transit.
The Everett City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 10 to adopt a resolution establishing development priorities for the city’s planned outdoor event center, adding an explicit transportation demand-management requirement meant to encourage walking, biking and transit access.
Council member Mary Fossey, who sponsored the resolution, said the document is intended to "build a project that actually reflects our values" and called for fiscal prudence, transparency and a strong emphasis on labor and workforce standards that honor Everett’s union history.
Public testimony at the meeting included labor and community voices urging strong worker protections. "I support the labor priorities set forth by council person Fossey, Ryan, and Schwab," said Charles Burgess, business manager for Laborers Local 292, who said the union expects local members to work on the project. Labor advocates also urged neutrality language for stadium tenants and tenants’ vendors to respect organizing efforts.
Council member Ryan moved to amend section 6 to "implement transportation demand management programming to encourage attendees to walk, bike, and ride transit to the event center." The amendment passed on roll call without dissent.
City staff said the project is at 60% design, that the city has selected a design-build team and that the city is value-engineering plans to produce construction-cost estimates before coming back early next year with budget and implementation recommendations.
Why it matters: The resolution sets a policy framework for a major downtown capital project. By embedding labor standards, cultural recognition (including language acknowledging tribal heritage), environmental and public-health expectations, and a new emphasis on non-driving access, the council directed staff and future agreements to prioritize local jobs, year-round affordability, and transparency.
Next steps: Staff said the next formal budget and design presentation will come in early 2026; the council will consider professional-services amendments on the next agenda and further budget actions when project-cost estimates are available.
Direct quote: "This resolution provides the foundation that we need anchored in fiscal responsibility and guided by community values," Council member Fossey said as she urged colleagues to support the measure.
