Seattle Center says Memorial Stadium renovation on track; sewer replacement was a major hurdle

Seattle Center officials told the City Council committee on March 5 that the Memorial Stadium renovation is progressing on schedule and remains on target to open for the start of the 2027–28 school year.

The update, delivered by Demetrius Winston, interim director at Seattle Center, and David Kuntzelman, Seattle Center director of planning and capital development, highlighted design changes, demolition progress, cost and funding sources, and the project’s community workforce commitments. Kuntzelman said the project is a public‑private partnership with Seattle Public Schools as property owner and the OneRoof Stadium Partnership as the private nonprofit operator.

Kuntzelman said the total project cost is "approximately 150,000,000," and described a seating plan with 6,500 fixed seats and additional standing‑room and field‑level seating that bring the venue’s total event capacity to roughly 8,000. He told the committee the team is reusing much of the site’s crushed concrete as structural fill and has taken steps to brace and preserve a landmarked memorial wall that honors Seattle students who died in World War II.

Seattle Public Schools remains the largest funder via earlier levy authority. Kuntzelman outlined the current funding mix: a $40,000,000 city contribution, a King County parks levy allocation, a state grant, and $5,000,000 from the OneRoof Stadium Partnership; philanthropic fundraising is "just over 30,000,000" to date.

On schedule, Kuntzelman said the team "started construction last July and we are on track to finish for the start of school for the sports season in September '27." The presentation and subsequent questions identified the replacement of a 19th‑century sewer main under the north stands as the largest unanticipated hurdle; Seattle Center said the sewer replacement came late in permitting but is now complete and the contractor remains ahead of schedule.

Council members asked how the reduced fixed‑seat tally compares with the previous facility and whether the community workforce agreement (CWA) reporting will capture participation by Seattle Public Schools students and local apprentices. Kuntzelman said the new design will improve circulation and sightlines and that the city’s prevailing‑wage and CWA goals are baked into contracting; the school district is tracking CWA metrics and project staff will report back as packages are awarded.

The committee heard that stadium walls that once shadowed the memorial wall are being removed in favor of a more transparent design that exposes the memorial and creates a forecourt for ceremonies and public viewing. Council members and Seattle Center staff discussed a future ribbon‑cutting and a possible separate ceremony focused on the memorial wall’s restoration.

Next steps: Seattle Center will continue construction work through the summer, provide periodic reporting on CWA and equity goals, and return to the committee with updates as key contracts are awarded and construction milestones are met.