WHEREAS, Seattle Center is the nation's best gathering place and premier urban park. Supported by the people of Seattle it is home to the finest cultural and educational organizations; sports teams, festivals, community programs and entertainment facilities, and it exists to delight and inspire the human spirit in each person and bring us together as a rich and varied community; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Center 2000 Master Plan was a conceptual plan intended to be a flexible guide to the future redevelopment of Seattle Center based on a set of community developed principles and goals; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Center 2000 Master Plan that was approved in 1990 has been amended over the years; and

WHEREAS, the Executive initiated a process to develop and adopt a new Seattle Center Master Plan (Century 21 Master Plan) intended to guide the next twenty years of redevelopment at Seattle Center; and

WHEREAS, in November 2006, the Century 21 Committee, comprised of 17 broadly representative community members, was formed to review and recommend alternatives for a new Century 21 Master Plan to be studied further in an Environmental Impact Statement; and

WHEREAS, since November 2006, the Seattle Center, with the Century 21 Committee, conducted many public meetings with more than 1,000 members of the community participating in an extensive public input process to develop alternatives for Seattle Center redevelopment and the proposed Century 21 Master Plan; and

WHEREAS, on July 23, 2007, the City Council, by Resolution 30997, adopted policy considerations that would be considered when adopting a Century 21 Master Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement was issued January 3, 2008 and issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement is anticipated on June 19, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Seattle Center held a series of public meetings to garner community input in January and April of 2007 and a final series on March 11, 13, 18 and 19, 2008 to present the proposed Century 21 Master Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Century 21 Master Plan is a concept plan, which establishes a site plan and policy framework to guide the future development of the Seattle Center; and

WHEREAS, the Century 21 Master Plan envisions a vibrant, sustainable and cost-effective future that will serve the diverse needs and desires of visitors for generations to come; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle City Council will provide ongoing guidance regarding achievement of City of Seattle sustainability goals; and

WHEREAS, the Century 21 Master Plan addresses the requests made by the public for more open space, more programs for young adults and children, more attractions for the growing residential and employment populations neighboring Seattle Center, and more amenities that will make the Center a place to visit every day; and

WHEREAS, the proposed revisions to Center House are intended to encourage public use and activate the space throughout the day and, while recognizing the need for flexible allocation of space in Center House, put emphasis on public amenities, arts and cultural events and organizations; and

WHEREAS, Seattle Center and Seattle Public Schools have entered into negotiations regarding the shared use of Memorial Stadium envisioned by the Century 21 Master Plan; and

WHEREAS, in January 2010 the real estate that had been occupied by the Fun Forest will be returned to public use and is envisioned to be redeveloped into an area with affordable year round activities and facilities appealing to a broad range of users and age groups that also complement adjacent facilities including the Experience Music Project; and

WHEREAS, the Century 21 Master Plan identifies opportunities for public-private partnerships in redevelopment of the area surrounding and including the KeyArena, and implementation of these opportunities should provide ongoing revenues to the Center with an emphasis on music, sports, arts and culture, and be consistent with the mission of Seattle Center, neighborhood business goals and desires of resident organizations and long term tenants; and

WHEREAS, the City will continue to work with the region and private interests to pursue funding and implementation options; NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, presented in Attachment 1 to this Resolution, is hereby adopted.

Section 2. Seattle Center shall develop design guidelines that support the vision of the Century 21 Master Plan, strengthen the creation of a more unified campus, and promote connectivity with surrounding neighborhoods and land uses. Elements of the design guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, standards for landscaping, outdoor lighting and paving materials, street furniture, building design, and campus gateways. The design guidelines shall be submitted to the City Council for review and possible adoption as an amendment to the Century 21 Master Plan by no later than July 31, 2009.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2008, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day of ______________________, 2008. _________________________________ President ___________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING: _________________________________ Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2008. ____________________________________ City Clerk

Attachment 1: Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan

July 22, 2008 Version #3 t

Attachment 1: Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan

Century 21 Master Plan Highlights

Seattle Center's Century 21 Master Plan transforms the campus from an occasional destination to one's first place to think of when planning what to do or where to go. With every acre of the grounds holding a promise of surprise and delight, interaction or contemplation, Seattle Center is a place to draw us together, again and again. This plan sets out a future for Seattle Center that is vibrant with activity, flexible to accommodate change, open and welcoming, and sustainable in construction and design.

Seattle Center's Century 21 Master Plan is characterized by reclaiming and unifying open space at the heart of the campus and making connections connections between buildings on the periphery and open spaces at the center; connections through the campus to growing neighborhoods on the Center's edges; connections between the Center's historic past and its dynamic future; all the while connecting the Center's patrons to vibrant programming in world class facilities.

Under the Century 21 Master Plan, the whole of Seattle Center is much greater than the sum of its parts. Each of the elements planned is important not just for the programs it contains, but how the building or open space links with other elements throughout the campus to form a synergistic whole.

Open space at Seattle is the green canvas; the free, public space that is the connective tissue of Seattle Center. The Century 21 Master Plan adds 10 acres of public open space, connecting the people and activities that were once isolated at its edges.

This is a bold, comprehensive plan that charts the direction for Seattle Center's growth over a 20-year period. It retains flexibility for change and is not intended to be fully funded or constructed in one piece. Rather, each element will be developed when demand, opportunity and resources converge. Public funding can be the catalyst that spurs private investment. Seattle Center has a proven track history for this approach.

Seattle Center has demonstrated the economic value of this redevelopment. The 2005 Economic Impact Assessment quantified that the Center generates $1.15 billion in business activity each year. It supports 15,534 jobs, $387 million in labor income, and $41 million in State and local tax revenues each year.

Seattle Center's Century 21 Master Plan is a vibrant, sustainable and cost-effective plan that sets the context and direction for the future of Seattle Center, as it continues to contribute to the City of Seattle and the region for decades to come.

Center of the Center -Center House highlights:

* Thick concrete walls are opened up. Restaurants and cafes punctuate the outer edge with outdoor seating in warm months, an outward presence and access year-round.

* The central atrium roof is replaced with glass, allowing light and views of the Space Needle into the core of the building. The roof level is a public promenade, offering views of the campus and downtown skyline. A destination restaurant sits on the north end of the roof level.

* Redevelopment includes opportunities for Center House's anchor tenants, the not-for-profit organizations that provide the core users of the facility, to increase their visibility and programming.

* The new roof level open space is accessed by a re-imagined "Bubbleator," evoking that treasured World's Fair icon.

Center of the Center -Open Space (including former Fun Forest property)

* Five acres of valuable real estate returns to the public realm in January 2010. A significant space on the campus that is now most frequently an empty asphalt lot for carnival rides becomes an active, fun destination for children and families throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year.

* Surrounding the Space Needle will be a landscape expressing the abundance and sustainability of the earth, a naturally forested area, a structured urban forest, sustainable gardens and botanical terraces.

* The Horiuchi Mural, a legacy of the World's Fair, enjoys a new location, once again surrounded by water as it was when it was created. On the west is an improved performance space for community events and major festivals.

* A play area, located between Center House and the EMP|SFM, evokes the World Fair's 'World of Tomorrow' theme, with a sculptural "jungle gym" play structure and a splash pool that converts to an outdoor ice skating rink in winter.

Memorial Stadium

* A shared use agreement between Seattle Center and the School District allows this nine-acre site to be actively used year-round.

* The playing field is realigned in a north-south direction at the eastern end of the site. During the spring and fall, the School District hosts football and soccer practices and games.

* During the summer months, including the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, Seattle Center converts the space into an amphitheatre for outdoor concerts, festival performances and other activities.

* The Memorial Wall, bearing the names of Seattle's public school students who died in World War II, enjoys a prominent and respectful placement. Today, the wall faces onto a surface parking lot, hidden by shrubs, its water fountains filled with cigarette butts. Many who visit the Stadium and Seattle Center are unaware the Memorial Wall exists.

* With the concrete walls down and the sports field moved to the eastern edge of the site, the International Fountain lawn is expanded by almost four acres. Today, this property sits empty most days.

* The International Lawn expansion serves as a green lid on top of a 1,300 space underground parking garage and multi-modal transportation center. School buses, and in the future, Metro buses, access the campus underground.

* Accessibility for all visitors is enhanced. Disabled patrons and families with young children no longer need to cross busy streets to reach Center activities.

* Daily deliveries to Center House and other venues occur underground, enhancing the safety of people walking and children playing on the campus.

* The new underground parking replaces the Mercer Garage, allowing this property to be redeveloped either by the City or as part of a public-private partnership. Proceeds from the redevelopment help finance the underground garage.

KeyArena

* While its major tenant, the Seattle Sonics, will no longer play at KeyArena, KeyArena will continue to be the premiere venue in Seattle for touring concerts and family shows. It can also be a fantastic home court for basketball teams, including the Seattle Storm and/or Seattle University.

* The KeyArena Subcommittee, in their 2005 report, identified a minimum level of improvements to enhance the building's performance systems and expand its range of events. These are needed to ensure that KeyArena maintains its competitive edge among similar local venues and expands into new lines of business in the future.

* The area encircling KeyArena is ripe with development opportunities that could provide retail, residential and restaurant amenities as well as ongoing revenues for Seattle Center through public-private partnerships.

Northwest Rooms

* The blank outer wall of the current Northwest meeting rooms is replaced with a glassy, open building on the corner of 1st Avenue N. and Republican Street. A lower level meeting room faces a new campus plaza with the ground floor above developed as retail space compatible with the Uptown urban center.

Mercer Arena

* Mercer Arena is redeveloped to house Seattle Opera's operations, including administrative, rehearsal, educational, technical support, costume and scene studio space and to create patron amenities that activate Mercer Street.

Mercer Garage

* The new underground parking inventory at Memorial Stadium allows for redevelopment of the two-block Mercer Garage property. Mixed use development on this site includes ground floor amenities consistent with the Uptown urban center.

Theatre Commons

* Sparked by a $1 million grant from the Kreielsheimer Remainder Trust, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Intiman Theatre are partnering with Seattle Center to create a new landscaped commons between their two facilities.

Environmental Sustainability

The Century 21 Master Plan reinforces the City's bold, ongoing commitment to sustainable design and takes its cues from the land itself, looking at the whole site from the ground up. Four strategies complement the strong emphasis on open space and connections in the Master Plan, targeting:

1) ecological systems -allowing the landscape and waterscape to work together

2) carbon footprint reduction -through energy conservation measures

3) green building technology -LEED certification of Silver or better for all buildings and open spaces

4) public education opportunities -making evident these strategies to

Seattle Center's visitors through exhibits, signage, and tours

Transportation

The Century 21 Master Plan calls for increasing the mode and frequency of transit, improving pedestrian connections to and through the campus, and making it easier and safer to access the Center from a vehicle, bike or on foot.

* A new underground multi-modal transportation center and parking garage is located at the Memorial Stadium site, at the heart of the campus, providing direct bus and truck loading to campus venues and patron parking where it is most needed.

* Improved access includes new emphasis on pedestrian safety with better connections to and through the site, especially from transit stops.

* The Seattle Center Monorail runs to Westlake Center, currently connecting to local and regional buses, and will connect to light rail in 2009.

* A new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route has been proposed from north downtown to Ballard with a BRT stop proposed on the west side of Seattle Center on 1st Avenue North at Republican.

* The newly opened Seattle Streetcar at South Lake Union has created interest in a citywide streetcar network with a possible expansion to Seattle Center along the Central Line route.

Programming

* With the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, the region has an unprecedented opportunity to refresh both its core facilities and its programming

* Expanded open space creates more opportunities for outdoor activities and free and low cost programming for the community.

* Public, commercial and resident programs will significantly expand to ensure that redeveloped open space and buildings are filled with activity that engages visitors.

Public Involvement

* The Century 21 Committee and Seattle Center staff pursued an extensive public process while developing the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan.

* Since November 2006 when the Committee was first convened, more than 60 public meetings have been held with more than 1,000 members of the community participating.

Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan

1. PLAN DESCRIPTION

Introduction

To meet the needs of our growing, world-class city, the Century 21 Committee has created a vibrant, sustainable and cost-effective plan setting the context and direction for the future of Seattle Center, as it contributes to the City of Seattle and the region for decades to come.

Seattle Center's Century 21 Master Plan is characterized by reclaiming and unifying open space at the heart of the campus and making connections connections between buildings on the periphery and open spaces at the center; connections through the campus to growing neighborhoods on the Center's edges; connections between the Center's historic past and its dynamic future; and connecting the people who use the Center with one another through sustainable landscaping, outdoor attractions, and an active hub.

It sets out to accomplish the following for Seattle Center, the City of Seattle and the region:

* Enhance Seattle Center's position as the Nation's Best Gathering Place

* Dramatically increase open space

* Connect Seattle Center's dynamic facilities into a synergistic whole

* Provide capacity for existing and future arts, cultural and recreational programs, to be nurtured, grown and developed

* Create program and design that captivates and attracts private funding partners

* Build on the history of Seattle Center while creating the flexible framework to provide for the needs of the future

* Integrate environmental sustainability in design, construction and operations to reduce energy demands and serve as a model for sustainable development

* Enrich and connect to the fabric of adjacent neighborhoods through welcoming design, programming and operations

* Increase accessibility to the center of the grounds for all users

* Encourage greater mass transit use and easier non-motorized connections

* Improve pedestrian safety

* Provide the programs and destinations to attract a larger and increasingly diverse number of visitors, from those who come everyday to those who make Seattle Center a special, occasional destination.

This plans sets out a future for Seattle Center that is vibrant with activity, flexible to accommodate change, open and welcoming, and sustainable in construction and operations.

Background

For the past 18 years, Seattle Center's development has been guided by the 1990 Master Plan, which provided the first coherent post-1962 World's Fair identity for this great civic treasure. Giving physical form to Seattle Center's mission and vision statements, the 1990 Master Plan directed the Center's transition from an assortment of temporary buildings and gated entries left over from the fair, to a vibrant and unified campus, housing public and commercial programs, world-class arts and cultural organizations and active and quiet open spaces.

While the 1990 Master Plan set the broad direction for the Center's development, that development was implemented in phases. Voters supported the first Seattle Center levy in 1991 and registered their confidence in the Center's implementation by renewing that levy in 1999. These public contributions catalyzed a transformation of the campus over the next 18 years.

The 1990 Master Plan propelled the Seattle Center to the door of the 21st Century. Dramatic changes to the periphery of Seattle Center with the construction or redevelopment of major iconic elements, including the EMP, McCaw Hall, the Space Needle, Fisher Pavilion, Pacific Science Center, Phelps Center and Seattle Children's Theatre, provided a wealth of world-class destinations at the edges of the campus. This laid the challenge for the new century to connect these dynamic facilities into a synergistic whole through active open spaces and buildings drawing people to the Center.

Changes call for a new Master Plan

Eighteen years after its adoption, the 1990 Master Plan has served its useful life. Dramatic neighborhood and regional changes, increased demands for environmental sustainability and changing entertainment and market trends create the need for a new long-term investment plan to guide the Center's growth into the future.

Adjacent Residential and Employment Growth

* Seattle's Center City Plan forecasts an additional 17,000 new housing units in the neighborhoods surrounding Seattle Center by 2024. In addition to young adults and empty nesters making up a large percentage of these new residents, the City hopes to attract families into the urban core.

* The headquarters of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, being built at the Center's eastern edge, will dramatically increase Seattle Center's visibility on the world stage, bringing new demands for campus facilities and new opportunities for audience expansion.

* Major employers are moving to South Lake Union and other nearby neighborhoods bringing approximately 30,000 employees to the area by 2024. This creates the potential for Seattle Center to welcome hundreds of daily workers seeking a break from work for meals, entertainment or relaxation.

* Seattle Center and its resident organizations are increasingly important contributors to the local economy. According to the 2005 Economic Impact Assessment, the spending of Seattle Center visitors and businesses created $1.15 billion in business activity, 15,534 jobs, and $387 million in labor income in King County, and $41 million in State and local tax revenues.

Seattle Center's Role in Greening the City

* Dramatic nearby growth creates a heightened demand for green refuge, public gathering and recreational spaces to serve urban neighborhoods. Escalating land prices, combined with lack of available property make acquisition of open space virtually impossible in the urban core. Seattle Center has underused acreage that can be transformed into much-needed green space.

* The Olympic Sculpture Park and South Lake Union Park have been developed, making Seattle Center the conduit between the two.

* New modes of public transit, such as a possible extension of the South Lake Union streetcar and expanded Metro Bus service are coming on-line. Making the Center more accessible by foot and bicycle allows for audience growth without generating greater carbon impacts.

* The City of Seattle is a national and international leader in the fields of environmental sustainability and green building standards. Seattle Center offers a model to showcase green technology in its buildings and landscape.

Entertainment Patterns and Market Changes

Changing entertainment patterns call for transformation in the mix of restaurants and retail. Attracting frequent users generates benefits for Seattle Center and the adjacent neighborhoods.

* By combining a theatre ticket with dining opportunities, visitors extend their stay, helping disperse peak hour traffic impact.

* Active restaurants and cafes that connect inside and outside add vibrancy and more "eyes on the space", enhancing personal safety.

* Successful eating establishments return a greater lease rate to Seattle Center.

As Seattle and the region grow and change, Seattle Center must stay ahead. It is a critical asset to the region's vibrancy and economic vitality. A new Master Plan is needed to anticipate and accommodate future demands on Seattle Center.

CENTURY 21 MASTER PLAN

Master Plan Map

Master Plan Overview

The Century 21 Master Plan transforms the campus from an occasional destination to the first place to think of when planning what to do or where to go. With every acre of the grounds holding a promise of surprise and delight, interaction or solitude, activity or contemplation, Seattle Center is a place to draw us together again and again.

A combined ten acres at the Fun Forest and Memorial Stadium, currently paved over or walled off, is opened up, connecting the people and activities that were once isolated at its edges. The carnival rides that sit empty most months of the year are replaced with landscaping, performance spaces and play areas that invite people in to create their own active experiences. The periodic use of Memorial Stadium becomes a year-round calendar where high school sports, outdoor concerts and spontaneous recreation all happen.

This additional acreage grows in importance as our region grows. With higher usage and pressure on the campus as the population increases in Seattle and our surrounding cities.

Under the Century 21 Master Plan, the whole of Seattle Center is much greater than the sum of its parts. Each of the elements planned is important not just for the programs it contains, but how the building or open space links with other elements throughout the campus. An activated Center House draws people in from every corner; removing walls and structures on the campus creates sightlines that draw people to the center; and a central multi-modal transportation hub animates the campus from the inside and radiating outward

This is a bold, comprehensive plan that charts the direction for Seattle Center's growth over a 20-year period. It retains flexibility for change and is not intended to be fully funded and constructed in one piece. Rather, each element will be developed when demand, opportunity and resources converge. The public will reengage in the design and programming of any new development, and the City Council will analyze and approve any implementation. Public funding can be the catalyst that spurs private investment on some projects. Others may begin with private development and completed with public funds.

Seattle Center has a proven model for this approach. The 1990 Master Plan was systematically implemented, layer upon layer, using a relatively small public contribution to leverage significant private dollars. The budget for McCaw Hall, for instance, included public funds for fundamental improvements to the Opera House and private contributions to create a spectacular public space. This successful formula can be applied to new projects in the Century 21 Master Plan.

Seattle Center has demonstrated the economic value of this redevelopment. The 2005 Economic Impact Assessment quantified that the Center generates $1.15 billion in business activity each year. If Seattle Center were a private business, it would fall between Vulcan and REI in the list of corporate revenue generators in Washington State. As part of the 15,534 jobs it supports annually, Seattle Center's staff alone includes 280 permanent employees and 682 part-time or intermittent employees representing 12 different labor unions and speaking more than 30 different languages.

THE GREEN CANVAS

In addition to all the world-class facilities, arts organizations and attractions is the "green canvas" -the open, free, public space that is the connective tissue of Seattle Center. The green canvas is the base map onto which the Century 21 Master Plan proposes new programming and facilities to further the mission and vision of Seattle Center. Transportation, access, sustainability, and public art are seamlessly woven into every aspect of the plan. These development opportunities are focused within four zones:

o The Center of the Center (including Center House and Open Space)

o Memorial Stadium

o Theatre District

o KeyArena

CENTER OF THE CENTER ZONE -Center House

At the crossroads of Seattle Center's iconic elements, including the International Fountain, Space Needle, Pacific Science Center arches and Monorail is Center House, community center for the entire city. Free and open 362 days a year, it plays host to our city's cultural festivals and holiday celebrations. Yet its dynamic mix of programs and services has been trapped inside fortress walls, hemmed in by carnival games and awkward grade changes.

Seattle Center's new Master Plan starts with a major revitalization of this campus center point and radiates outward.

Features of a Revitalized Center House

* Center House becomes a welcoming, active hub, connecting people and campus destinations.

* Thick concrete walls are opened up. Restaurants and cafes punctuate the outer edge with outdoor seating in warm months, an outward presence and access year-round.

* The central atrium roof is replaced with glass, allowing light and views of the Space Needle into the core of the building. The roof level is a public promenade, offering views of the campus and downtown skyline. A destination restaurant sits on the north end of the roof level.

* The new roof level open space is accessed by a re-imagined Bubbleator, evoking that treasured World's Fair icon.

* The walls on the south side of Center House open wide with glass hangar doors creating a seamless connection to the new active open space surrounding Center House.

* The atrium is home to restaurants, cafes and retail catering to a variety of tastes and price levels. With light flooding in and dramatic views looking out, this gathering place has the feel of an indoor/outdoor space.

* Circulation through the building is clarified. The first floor north entrance flows gracefully up to the atrium through the new public performance space, stepping from the first to second floor.

* Lowering the public performance space creates raked seating, offering full view of the stage and creating a more intimate space, appropriate for a wider range of programming. Spillover and casual audiences can look down on the performance from the atrium.

Center House Anchor Tenants

The improvements listed above describe the major design components of a completely renovated Center House. Layered upon these are the programs that animate the building. Center House has a wide range of public activities and amenities to draw patrons to the building throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year. These baseline activities are provided by anchor tenants, the mix and placement of these to be decided as opportunities, including publicprivate partnerships develop. The following describes programs that could be located in a renovated Center House, or elsewhere on campus, in the future:

The Children's Museum

The Children's Museum, currently located on the first floor of Center House, is a vital and important anchor tenant in Center House. Its membership base of 8,000 households and annual local visitors of 255,000 form a core of weekday and weekend visits to Center House. To increase programming significantly, The Children's Museum needs additional space and greater visibility. Future development plans include a first phase of growth to 75,000 sq. ft., which can be accommodated in Center House or the new Northwest Rooms building.

The Center House Theatre

The Center House Theatre is located on the first floor of Center House and currently houses three small, thriving theatrical organizations: Theatre of Puget Sound, Book-it Repertory Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Company. These groups are literally tripping over each other and each would like their own expanded complex within the Center House or Seattle Center grounds. Theatre of Puget Sound also manages a complex of rehearsal rooms on the fourth floor of Center House.

The current Center House Theatre complex could be expanded to include a 300seat theatre, 150-seat black box theatre and sufficient lobby, dressing room and support space for two performance spaces in the first floor of Center House, but does not presume which of the organizations might stay within Center House. Other possible locations for additional theatre space development include the August Wilson Way building, the new Northwest Room building or the renovated NASA building. These decisions will be resolved through future negotiations with Seattle Center.

The Center School

The Center School is a Seattle public high school in the third and fourth floors of Center House. It is a thriving school, with a total enrollment of approximately 300 students. The Master Plan calls for the school remaining in Center House at its current size but acknowledges that the School District is separately assessing whether the existing lease space is sufficient for the present demand and whether a larger school, both in enrollment and square footage, is needed in this area of the City.

Technology Center

Seattle Center is in the early stages of negotiations with a private technology college for a Technology Center, which could engage the public in the educational and interactive nature of the video game industry.

Day Care Center

Seattle Center has been approached by its new neighbor, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, about their interest in a possible day care center in Center House. This privately funded amenity could serve local area workers during week-day hours and would be available for drop-off childcare for night time and week-end theatre and event attendees.

Seattle Center Administrative Offices

Currently much of the north core of Center House is used for Seattle Center staff and offices for not-for-profits. To expand the public use of Center House, a number of these offices may need to be relocated to the building's upper floors or to space in other new or existing facilities.

Expanding and improving the dining and retail options will enhance the patron experience, while increasing Seattle Center revenues. Offering outdoor dining in multiple locations and a high-end roof top restaurant transforms the dining experience from a support function to a destination activity for Seattle Center guests.

There are untapped opportunities to improve the visitor experience and increase revenue by expanding retail options. Currently, the only retail locations at Seattle Center, aside from resident organization gift shops, are the Fun Forest, the Frontier Gallery (targeting tourists), the Sonics and Storm team shop and Northwest Crafts Center. With approximately 12 million visits annually to Seattle Center, combined with the growing employment and residential population of Uptown/Queen Anne, South Lake Union and Belltown, refocusing the location and types of retail to uses such as a bookstore that target the adjacent community can draw people into the Center grounds and enliven its edges.

Retail opportunities exist along the Center's east and west edges, where visibility is high and synergies with the adjacent districts will be attractive to potential retailers. Sites for successful new retail include the northwest corner of Seattle Center, linking to the Uptown/Queen Anne neighborhood, and facing 5th Avenue North adjacent to the stadium/amphitheatre, across the street from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters. There are also opportunities for additional retail locations in Center House, including a relocated Northwest Crafts Center.

A new Center House embodies many of the Planning and Design principles by:

* Providing programs, services and attractions for people of every age, background, heritage, culture and ability

* Creating amenities for local residents who may visit everyday and for those who travel distances to get here

* Enlivening the campus throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year

* Incorporating and showcasing sustainable design and emerging green technology

* Drawing people to the Center to discover new attractions

Potential Phasing

It may be necessary to implement the Center House vision over multiple phases. To complete a successful transformation, funding will need to come from a mix of public and private sources. If done first, the improvements that recreate and reinvigorate the building such as the rooftop promenade, glass-roofed atrium and porous interior-exterior connections, can stimulate new partnerships and motivate private investment.

CENTER OF THE CENTER ZONE Open Space

Five acres of valuable real estate returns to the public realm with the removal of the Fun Forest in January 2010. A significant space on the campus that is now an empty asphalt lot for carnival rides during most months becomes an active, fun destination for children and families throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year.

Creative design will connect signature buildings and existing open space into a new dynamic place using the four elements -earth, air, water and fire -as an organizing metaphor to create three specific kinds of activity: park, performance, play.

Park

* Surrounding the Space Needle an architectural expression reaching into the air will be a landscape expressing the abundance and sustainability of the earth, a naturally forested area, a structured urban forest, sustainable gardens and botanical terraces. Extending from the water feature, a stream meanders as part of a pathway to the rain gardens at the edge of the revitalized Broad Street Green, which features a restored lawn bordered by a curved seat wall and bright seasonal plantings that create a defined and festive civic edge.

Perform

* The water feature transitions the Park into a community performance area focused on the Horiuchi Mural. This signature art piece, a legacy of the World's Fair, has been the focal point of a vital, community performance space for decades. In its new location, the Mural is once again surrounded by water, as it was when it was created. Its long-hidden backside on the east, featuring Native American motifs, is a backdrop for a periodic choreographed fire show launched from gas jets in the reflecting pool. On the west is an improved performance space for community events and the major festivals.

Play

* In the play area, located between Center House and the EMP/Science Fiction Museum, the new open space moves from the elements of the earth into outer space. Evoking the World Fair's World of Tomorrow theme, children and adults are invited to play in the future and among the stars and planets.

* The sculptural "jungle gym" play structure is a futuristic space ship, the seasonal splash pool/ice skating rink a reflection of the Milky Way, and the hearth for winter warming a model of the solar system with the sun as the warming element for ice skaters.

* For year round use, there is a tensile cover above the space supported by digital towers displaying multi-media programming that provides event information, sponsorship/advertising opportunities, outdoor movies and video art.

* A boardwalk adjacent to the play area offers a place for parents and families to sit and enjoy the activity while a signature ride, perhaps a carousel, adds to the fun.

* Adding to the vitality of the new open space is the Monorail, as the red and blue trains disembark passengers at the station, restored to its original 1962 "light and bright" look.

New open space on this scale is a major component of the Center of the Center, linking the Broad Street Green and Mural lawn into new active public space. The seamless integration of the former Fun Forest site to the existing open spaces demonstrates many of the Planning and Design principles by:

o Creating a mix of active and passive uses

o Providing for large festival use and individual enjoyment of unique amenities

o Expanding visual access into and through the campus, drawing people to the center of the grounds with pedestrian pathways

o Celebrating an arrival experience and sense of discovery, while articulating legible connections to the diversity of open spaces.

MEMORIAL STADIUM ZONE

Shared Use of Memorial Stadium

Calls to reintegrate this nine-acre parcel with the daily life of Seattle Center predate the 1990 Master Plan; however, to date the School District and Seattle Center have been unable to create a plan that meets the needs of both parties. This proposal for shared use of Memorial Stadium offers a major break-through of the impasse, allowing us to envision a future where this property is an active contributor to the vibrancy of Seattle Center every day of the year.

Features of the Memorial Stadium Redevelopment

* The Memorial Wall, bearing the names of Seattle High School students who died in World War II, enjoys a prominent and respectful placement in a newly developed Memorial Stadium. This stands in contrast to today, where the wall is hidden by shrubs facing onto a surface parking lot, its water fountains filled with cigarette butts. Many who visit the Stadium and Seattle Center are unaware the Memorial Wall exists.

* The playing field is realigned in a north-south direction at the eastern end of the site. During the spring and fall the School District hosts football and soccer practices and games. For sports events, there is a capacity that meets School District needs of 5,000 seats, with half under cover on the east side of the field and half on the tiered hillside on the west side.

* During the summer months, including the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, Seattle Center converts the space into an amphitheatre for outdoor concerts, festival performances and other activities. The artificial turf field is covered and the stadium seating on the east is converted to the stage house. Seating on the field, along with the tiered seating on the west side, combines for a flexible capacity of 5,000 to 12,000. For festivals, the expanded International Fountain lawn area to the west can be used to increase the capacity to 20,000.

* With the concrete walls down and the sports field moved to the eastern edge of the site, the International Fountain lawn is expanded by almost four acres. Today, this property sits empty most days. Under the Master Plan, this expansive open space is returned to the public realm, enlivened throughout the year with Frisbee tosses, family picnics, surprise public performances and community gatherings.

* Currently the athletic field is located well below the grade of the rest of the campus, offering the ideal opportunity to create underground space for a variety of access and transportation opportunities: parking, bus and truck loading; materials handling; and trash and recycling collection. The International Lawn expansion serves as a green lid on top of this combined 1,300 space underground parking garage, loading and maintenance facility and multi-modal transportation hub all with direct access into the heart of the campus.

* School buses, and some day in the future, Metro buses, access the campus underground. The transportation hub feature is reinforced by a Seattle Streetcar connection on 5th and Harrison; a bike corral, housing secure locker and shower facilities for bicycle commuters; and easy connections to the Monorail.

* Accessibility for all visitors is enhanced. Disabled patrons and families with young children no longer need to cross busy streets to reach Center activities. Elevators deliver visitors directly to McCaw Hall, Center House and other campus destinations, much as the University of Washington central garage now does for that campus.

* Also below ground are Seattle Center maintenance shops, relocated and consolidated from their current places throughout the grounds: below the north stands, in rental space on Roy Street and south of the KeyArena.

* Daily deliveries to Center House and other venues now occur underground, enhancing the safety of people walking and children playing on the campus.

* The new underground parking replaces the Mercer Garage, allowing this property to be redeveloped either by the City or in a publicprivate partnership. The City's share of proceeds from the redevelopment help finance the underground garage.

* The north end of the open green is marked by August Wilson Way, a pedestrian corridor named for the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. A location for concessions and restrooms for the amphitheatre will need to be identified at ground level with the possibility of additional floors in the future depending on program needs. Further study is needed of what kind of structure might be needed to screen south facing walls and the McCaw Hall loading dock and attenuate noise from the amphitheatre to the residential area to the north.

This plan for Memorial Stadium achieves many of the Planning and Design Principles by:

o Drawing people into the center of the grounds

o Maximizing the green space at the Center of the Center

o Strengthening the International Fountain as the "heart" of Seattle Center

o Making accessibility a central element of the development by encouraging alternate modes of transportation: bus, bicycle, monorail, streetcar and pedestrian

Potential Phasing

Like Center House, the Memorial Stadium site may need to be implemented over multiple phases with funds from a mix of public and private sources. As a venue for commercial events, opportunities exist for a number of revenue streams from naming rights, exclusive booking options and concessions rights that could create private capital funding. The commercial viability of the site could subsidize free or low cost public programming, which would allow Seattle Center to reach a broad diversity of users.

KEYARENA ZONE

KeyArena Redevelopment

KeyArena is the major revenue generator supporting Seattle Center's operational expenses. While the Sonics will no longer play at KeyArena, KeyArena will continue to be the premiere venue in Seattle for touring concerts and family shows. It could also be a fantastic home court for basketball teams, including the Seattle Storm and/or Seattle University.

The KeyArena Subcommittee, in their 2005 report, identified a minimum level of improvements to enhance the building's performance systems and expand its range of events. These are needed to ensure that KeyArena maintains its competitive edge among similar local venues and expands into new lines of business in the future. The KeyArena Subcommittee reports outlines a redevelopment plan to meet current NBA arena standards as part of an effort to attract a new NBA franchise for the citizens of Seattle. This could be incorporated as a future Master Plan update through a supplemental EIS process.

* The meeting rooms open to a plaza and the new skatepark, which anchors the entrance at Second Avenue N. and Thomas Street with an active use, drawing people to the campus.

* The aging Blue Spruce Building will be removed as part of the planned redevelopment around KeyArena, and the not-for-profit offices there are relocated to other buildings on site.

* The area encircling KeyArena is ripe with development opportunities that could provide retail, residential and restaurant amenities as well as ongoing revenues for Seattle Center through public-private partnerships.

Northwest Rooms

* The blank outer wall of the current Northwest meeting rooms is replaced with a glass, open building on the corner of 1st Avenue N. and Republican Street. A lower level meeting room faces a new campus plaza with the ground floor above developed as retail space compatible with the Uptown urban center. The Master Plan envisions the possibility of up to five floors for this structure with potential office or program space above the retail floors. As part of this development, replacement space for KeyArena staff and support spaces will need to be identified.

* Creative funding opportunities could include leveraging four floors of commercial development to generate funding for the public meeting space. Other opportunities include The Children's Museum or other not-for-profits as partners in the funding and programming of this facility.

* The lower Northwest Rooms are unchanged, with the VERA Project in the Snoqualmie Room, the Alki Room poised to be the new headquarters for the Seattle International Film Festival.

* The DuPen Fountain and other significant public art and architecture from the Century 21 World's fair will be retained.

* The NW Crafts Center building is reduced in size to maximize views and access through the campus. This location is very desirable as a cafe/wine bar directly adjacent to the International Fountain.

NASA and West Court Building

* Because of the impending move of the Sonics and the consolidation of campus support facilities in the stadium area, the West Court Building, NASA Building and the Gardener's Complex with Park Place can be redeveloped with more public amenities, activities and programs consistent with the Uptown Urban Center.

This plan for KeyArena and the buildings and areas around it achieves many of the Planning and Design Principles by:

o Creating visual access into and through the campus

o Improving access for people of all abilities to be move into and through the campus

o Providing programs, services and attractions for people of every age, background, heritage, culture and ability

o Enlivening the campus throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year

o Opening the campus edges to the community

Potential Phasing

Like Center House and Memorial Stadium, the area encircling KeyArena is ripe for public-private partnerships. Here at the campus' perimeter, opportunities exist to provide new retail, residential, and restaurant developments that could generate ongoing revenues for Seattle Center and stimulate neighborhood business development with an emphasis on music, sports, art and culture. Redevelopment of the site will likely be complex, as there are many integrated parts and uses, and may need to be implemented over multiple phases with funds from a mix of public and private sources.

THEATRE DISTRICT ZONE

This plan incorporates the aspirations of the adopted Theatre District Plan emphasizing the vitality of the performing arts organizations along Mercer Street, and creating a distinct district with life and activity both day and night. The original Theatre District plan called for modest improvements on the north side of Mercer Street. Redevelopment of the Mercer Garage would greatly increase the opportunities for amenities on both sides of Mercer. August Wilson Way creates an active southern boundary to the Theatre District with pedestrian amenities recounting Mr. Wilson's story telling scope of the 20th Century African-American experience.

Mercer Arena

* Mercer Arena is redeveloped to house Seattle Opera's operations, including administrative, rehearsal, educational, technical support, costume and scene studio space and to create patron amenities that activate Mercer Street.

Mercer Garage

* The new underground parking inventory at Memorial Stadium allows for redevelopment of the two-block Mercer Garage property. Proceeds from a public-private redevelopment of this site, through a partnership between the City and a private entity, in which the City retains ownership of the land, could help finance the underground garage. Mixed-use development on this site includes ground floor amenities consistent with the Theatre District concept and the Uptown urban center, activating the north side of Mercer.

Theatre Commons

* Sparked by a $1 million grant from the Kreielsheimer Remainder Trust, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Intiman Theatre are partnering with Seattle Center to create a new landscaped commons between their two facilities. Under terms of the grant, this new open space must be under construction by 2010.

This plan for the Theatre District embraces the Planning and Design Principles by:

> Encouraging development that invigorates and updates the campus to appeal to the next generation of users

> Welcoming visitors into the campus with festive entries and inviting landscaping

> Increasing the amount of open space

> Forging stronger pedestrian connections into the neighborhood.

Planning and Design Principles

Building a Shared Vision for Seattle Center's New Master Plan

Through its many public workshops, briefings to elected officials, and committee meetings, the Century 21 Committee has shaped a shared vision for what a new Seattle Center Master Plan should achieve. The implementation of this vision is described in the adopted Planning and Design Principles, which follow.

These Planning and Design Principles will play a critical role in guiding Seattle Center from the adoption of a new Master Plan and forward into the future. New ideas and opportunities, which can't be imagined or planned for now, are likely to be presented to Seattle Center some time in the years ahead. The Planning and Design Principles, as well as the specific master plan map, will work together as the critical tools with which to evaluate the merit of these new ideas.

In developing these Planning and Design Principles (listed below), the committee built from principles previously adopted, most notably from the 2006 Mayor's Task Force for Seattle Center Sustainability and the 1990 Master Plan Urban Design Principles, which have continued to guide Seattle Center redevelopment.

Century 21 Design and Planning Principles:

Seattle Center Mission

We are the nation's best gathering place. Supported by the people of Seattle, we are home to the finest cultural and educational organizations, sports teams, festivals, community programs and entertainment facilities. We exist to delight and inspire the human spirit in each person and bring us together as a rich and varied community.

* The mission is sound and the future is bright

o Seattle Center should treasure its unique mix of programs, attractions and open spaces.

o Long-term investments should enhance the Center's ability to meet its mission, bringing people together to share our communal artistic, civic and cultural expressions.

o The future of Seattle Center should be as sparkling and dynamic as its past.

o Diversity is the Center's hallmark strength. Seattle Center should continue to bring together young and old, rich and poor, arts patrons and sports fans, tourists and Northwest residents, festival revelers and conference attendees.

* Drawn to the center

o The campus should be designed to draw people into the center of the grounds to discover attractions, and be exposed to new programs, people and activities.

o Visitors should be encouraged to move through the campus through thoughtfully placed and inviting landscaping, outdoor dining and cafes, children's play areas, water features, public art, and dynamic signage.

o Future development should maximize the green space at the "Center of the Center" as a place of refuge from the surrounding city.

* Open Spaces

o Open spaces and gardens contribute to Seattle Center's unique identity. They should feature diversity both in size and character, providing for the needs of major festivals as well as quiet enjoyment of green space.

o Open spaces should feature a mix of active and passive programmatic uses and be available to all regardless of ability to pay

o The amount of open space should be increased wherever possible. Open spaces should build on existing program uses while providing flexibility for future program needs.

o The International Fountain and the open space around it should be preserved as the "heart" of Seattle Center.

* Leader in Sustainable Design and Operations

o All planning and design work should promote environmental sustainability.

o Seattle Center should be used as a compelling and highly visible model to showcase emerging green technology in its buildings and landscape and should help demonstrate ways to reduce the City's carbon footprint.

o Seattle Center should reach LEED Silver certification or better in all new buildings and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. The site itself should serve as a laboratory for sustainable landscape and infrastructure.

* Arrivals and visual connections

o Visual access into and through the campus should draw people to the center of the grounds.

o Pathways and pedestrian connections into and through the campus should convey a sense of discovery and be clearly legible.

o Sightlines to key attractions, such as the International Fountain, Space Needle and Center House should be respected as they give Seattle Center its unique sense of place and assist in campus navigation.

o Campus edges should open to the community and entries should be inviting and festive and clearly convey that one has arrived at Seattle Center.

* A Mix of Activities and Amenities for diverse populations

o The mix of activities and amenities should be inviting to the diversity of Seattle Center users.

o The campus should provide programs, services and attractions for people of every age, background, heritage, culture and ability as well as for neighborhood residents and workers who may visit everyday and for those who travel distances to get here.

o Seattle Center should strive to enliven the campus throughout the hours of the day and the days of the year, balancing out the peaks and valleys of programs and activities.

o Development should invigorate and update the campus to appeal to the next generation of users, yet changes should honor the campus' historic character.

* Pedestrians first

o Pedestrian friendly planning should unify the campus, enhancing the comfort and safety of people on foot.

o Pedestrian drop-off points should be located strategically around the perimeter of the campus and vehicular access should not segment the site.

o Lighting, signage, a coordinated system of direction and information graphics, and street furniture should reinforce the primary pedestrian corridors and facilitate pedestrian access. Green technology and materials should be emphasized.

o The design of the campus should enhance a sense of personal safety and be sensitive to human scale design elements.

o The campus should be intentionally designed to be accessible to people of all abilities.

* Design should emphasize

o Flexibility To continually adapt to changing needs and opportunities, design flexible multipurpose indoor and outdoor spaces.

o Vibrancy Buildings, programs and landscaping all should work together to create a sense of excitement and discovery, attracting people to the Center and encouraging them to extend their stay.

o Legibility Design, signage and sightlines should work together to create a unified sense of place where visitors can easily find their way to multiple destinations.

o Artistic Expression Artistic expression should be integrated into the design and construction of new campus facilities, and public art should be featured prominently, compatible with current and future campus uses.

* Getting here

o Transportation planning must be a central element of any development. Alternate modes of transportation (bus, bicycle, monorail, streetcar and pedestrian paths) should be planned for and encouraged, connecting Seattle Center to adjacent neighborhoods and other cultural destinations.

o Seattle Center should disperse peak period event impacts by promoting increased public mass transit service, distributing parking supply and encouraging new uses, programs and events that spread visitor activity throughout the day and year.

o Seattle Center should maintain adequate parking capacity, sized to accommodate the majority of visitors who travel by car or other vehicle for a high average event day.

* Good Neighbor

o Future Seattle Center development should build on the tradition of being a good neighbor to surrounding residents and businesses.

o Design elements should reach out to the neighborhood and forge stronger pedestrian connections.

o Seattle Center should continue to work with neighbors and inform them at regular intervals of substantial changes proposed for the site, recognizing the impacts will extend beyond the campus. Design, programming and operations should all strive to mitigate impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

What's Happening Today at Seattle Center?

For a family with young children living in the neighborhood:

* Walk to the Center

* Drop in on free concert at Center House stage

* Picnic outside at the base of the Space Needle

* Parents enjoy a latte while the kids play with others in the splash fountain and space-age jungle gym

* Walk home

For a suburban family with "tweens" and younger children:

* Park in the garage and the tweens can be on their own, no busy streets to cross

* Parents take the young kids, one in stroller, up the elevator straight to Center House

* Tweens meet some friends at International Fountain then go to the technology center in Center House

* Young kids and parents go to Children's Museum or Children's Theatre, then let off steam in play area outside

* Everyone meets up at Fisher Pavilion for dinner and Festal entertainment

For young singles working downtown:

* Take the Monorail to Seattle Center

* Meet at Center House rooftop bar

* Go to a rock concert at KeyArena, movie at SIFF Cinema or attend theatre, opera or ballet performance

* Late night dinner at a local neighborhood restaurant

For a retiree living in Ballard:

* Takes the bus rapid transit to Seattle Center

* Meet friends for the senior dance in Center House

* Tea and pastry at cafe overlooking International Fountain

* Browses in the bookstore on 1st Avenue North while waiting for return bus home

For teenagers from Capitol Hill:

* Take the streetcar to Seattle Center

* Meets friends for smoothie in Center House

* Hang out at the skatepark

* Checkout the music at VERA and swing by the EMP|SFM

* Late light laser show at Pacific Science Center

* Back to the streetcar stop without ever leaving the campus

For a worker at the Gates Foundation:

* Ride the bus to the multi-modal transit center

* Up the elevator to leave child at day-care center in Center House

* Come back mid-day to visit child; takes international visitor to lunch at Center House rooftop restaurant

* Attend afternoon seminar in McCaw Hall.

* Back to day-care center to pick up child

* Home on the bus

2. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Context

The City of Seattle is widely celebrated for being "green". It was one of the earliest cities in the nation to adopt green building and energy conservation policies for its own facilities. New energy conservation goals are now being pursued by all city departments, including Seattle Center, in the strategic effort to reduce the City's carbon footprint. The Century 21 Master Plan reinforces the City's bold, ongoing commitment to sustainable design.

Green Goals of Master Plan

The Century 21 Master Plan takes its sustainable design cues from the land itself, looking at the whole site from the ground up. Seattle Center is committed to being a leader in sustainable design and operations and can be a highly visible model to showcase emerging green technology in its buildings and landscape.

Four strategies complement the strong emphasis on open space and connections and provide the framework for sustainability in the Century 21 Master Plan. These strategies target: 1) ecological systems, 2) carbon footprint reduction through energy conservation measures, 3) green building technology, and 4) public education opportunities.

Ecological Systems

This new Master Plan will capitalize on the ecological function of landscape features around the campus. New open spaces feature rain gardens, vegetated swales, and recirculating water features that work together as an integrated system. Porous pavement or permeable hardscape that allows greater infiltration is pursued wherever practical. Designing the groundscape and the reclaimed open spaces of the Fun Forest and Memorial Stadium in an ecological manner will allow them to absorb water while adding more trees and urban habitat around the perimeters.

Water is an important element at Seattle Center. Below the surface, Seattle Center sits on the divide between two watersheds, Elliott Bay and Lake Union. Strategic planning for stormwater management, a critical piece of the water cycle, is already underway. Current stormwater management uses underground detention tanks to store water temporarily and time water run-off. Additional stormwater detention capacity and new rainwater collection tanks are planned for the new open spaces in the Century 21 Master Plan. With the added ability to harvest rainwater Seattle Center can store rainwater on campus and use it for irrigation, on-site water features and other non-potable water needs. Rain gardens and swales will be incorporated into new landscape to help water absorption. Expanding green lawns on campus and creating a green haven in this urban area presents a real opportunity to allow the landscape and waterscape to work together.

An innovative "water swap" idea focused on Seattle Center's stormwater system is being explored as a pilot project for the City's new Sustainable Infrastructure initiative. An interdisciplinary City staff team is looking at the economics and potential cost savings in 2008, and implementation could be part of a first phase of master plan improvements. The simple and compelling idea is to harvest and manage stormwater entirely on campus, freeing up space in King County Metro's storm/sewer pipes for nearby neighborhoods that currently send untreated water to Lake Union.

Carbon Footprint Reduction

Seattle Center is part of Seattle Climate Action Now (CAN), a community-wide campaign to reduce carbon emissions, and has already made great strides in converting its fleets, maintenance equipment and building systems to alternative energies. Seattle Center has also reduced waste, stepped up recycling efforts, and charted trip reduction with greater reliance on transit. Green Housekeeping plans are being developed and will help realize both energy and cost savings. A list of recent accomplishments can be found at: http://www.seattlecenter.com/climate.

Further carbon reduction strategies focused on emerging technology in both energy conservation and generation will be considered with the new Master Plan. Options to be explored include LED lighting fixtures, roof-top wind turbines, and concepts as new and as old as using the ground and groundwater and constant temperature of the earth to help with heating in the winter and cooling in the summer through ground sourced heat pumps, thermal massing, and a ground loop heat and cooling exchange.

Existing infrastructure will be adapted to new green technology, as needed. Below the street grid lies a network of piping that delivers steam and chilled water to buildings for heating and cooling from a natural gas-fired central utility plant on campus. The original 1962 system has recently been upgraded and is already very efficient because it balances loads between buildings. New technology is continually introduced to improve energy efficiency. In the future, Seattle Center is poised to reduce its carbon footprint and tap new green energy planning solutions as they become ever more viable. These range from connecting to future district energy systems at the neighborhood scale a European concept that allows linked facilities to share resources and return unused energy to the grid for others to use -to co-generation of heat and power systems, solar hot water and photo-voltaic arrays.

Seattle Center has recently instituted food waste recycling at its major festivals. Starting in 2008, the goal for these events is to be trash free. This means that virtually all waste that is generated can be recycled or composted. Ultimately, the goal is for all food service vendors operating on the Seattle Center campus, to utilize re-usable and/or 100% biodegradable service ware. With plans to upgrade food service on site, Seattle Center is looking at food options that include organic, locally grown, and healthy alternatives to fast food. A related carbon savings strategy is to explore onsite food production in restaurant gardens or greenhouses on the Center House roof where they would be both visible and secure.

Green Building Technology

Seattle Center is incorporating green building technology into many of the newer projects on campus. The Fisher Pavilion, as an example, was one of the earliest City-owned buildings to be awarded LEED certification. Looking ahead, Seattle Center intends to make a powerful statement and aggressively promote sustainable design with its next wave of capital projects, including many new open spaces.

With the Century 21 Master Plan, only a few new buildings are planned and most will replace existing uses. Several buildings will be substantially renovated rather than demolished, thereby using the original materials and energy that would otherwise be used to manufacture and ship new materials. All construction will follow the City's green building policy, which stipulates that any new building and the substantial adaptive reuse of a building such as Center House will achieve LEED Silver certification or better. Buildings will incorporate features such as green roofs/walls and cutting edge technologies such as "smart" glazing systems and "eco-skins" that feature high performance curtain walls. Buildings will also emphasize natural light and ventilation and provide electric car plugs in parking or loading areas.

Prime sites for sustainable design in the Century 21 Master Plan include:

o Center House substantial renovation of a 300,000 sq. ft. historic building

o New underground Multimodal Transportation Center with loading areas, bike corral and replacement parking garage

o Memorial Stadium new Amphitheatre and open space

o New August Wilson Way Building

o Reclaimed open space at Fun Forest

o Campus-wide water features

o Northwest Rooms

Public Education Opportunities

Opportunities for public education about green technology through the site's transformation are tremendous, as the Center hosts more than 12 million visitors a year.

A greener 74-acre campus with integrated sustainable design elements can tell a compelling story. Demonstration projects can show the potential of new ideas. Site improvements along with new and renovated buildings can feature exhibits that communicate important messages about green design. Seattle Center is part of the larger City and Puget Sound region, and this new Master Plan has been developed with an awareness of local and regional planning initiatives to create sustainable outcomes for all our resources.

New and renovated buildings and reclaimed open space will tell the story of sustainability and amplify the City's work in combating global warming. Stormwater harvesting and management will be highlighted in exhibits, and signage around campus will let the public know about the valuable role of urban landscape and ecological systems working together. The complete renovation of Center House is an opportunity to showcase sustainable design as it serves as the focal point of activity on the campus. Educational programs and tours will focus on sustainable design achievements at the Center. The Gates Foundation campus will soon be a new neighbor and its sustainable design features, including the largest green roof in Seattle, will be an added educational opportunity.

The Seattle Center campus also presents a unique opportunity to amplify the goals of One Planet Living, which integrates carbon savings with larger principles for sustainable living. Sitewide messages that might reinforce One Planet Living principles include:

o Pedestrian and transit friendly site -visitors can walk, ride the monorail, or take transit to the Center

o Green campus -more open space and trees create a healthy place for families and the environment

o Green buildings and operations -local, recycled and sustainable materials are used as much as possible

o Conservation minded -minimize waste from concessions and operations

3. TRANSPORTATION

Existing System

For Seattle Center and its dozens of resident organizations to thrive, people must be able to get here. With more than three times the annual number of visitors as Safeco Field, Seattle Center is the state's top attraction. Yet, even the best product is unmarketable if people cannot reach it. Currently, getting to Seattle Center can be challenging. Access to the Center must be continually improved, especially for modes other than the car. An updated Transportation Management Plan (TMP) for Seattle Center, developed in conjunction with the Final EIS, will focus on continuing to improve access to and from Seattle Center.

Master Plan Transportation Goals

The Century 21 Master Plan calls for increasing the mode and frequency of transit connections, improving pedestrian connections to and through the campus, and making it easier and safer to access the Center from a vehicle, bike or on foot. The circulation map below has been developed along with the Century 21 Master Plan. It shows pedestrian routes and portals, all modes of transit envisioned in the future, and vehicular access, loading and parking sites. The TMP will provide more detail on ongoing performance measures and planned improvements.

Transportation elements of the Century 21 Master Plan respond to the following adopted Planning and Design Principles for the Century 21 Master Plan:

o Transportation planning must be a central element of any development. Alternate modes of transportation (bus, bicycle, monorail, streetcar and pedestrian paths) should be planned for and encouraged, connecting Seattle Center to adjacent neighborhoods and other cultural destinations.

o Seattle Center should disperse peak period event impacts by promoting increased public mass transit service, distributing parking supply and encouraging new uses, programs and events that spread visitor activity throughout the day and year.

o Seattle Center should maintain adequate parking capacity, sized to accommodate the majority of visitors who travel by car or other vehicle for a high average event day.

The Century 21 Master Plan provides for several new transportation elements, which are summarized below.

Multi-modal Transportation Center

* A new underground multi-modal transportation center and parking garage with 1,300 spaces is located at the Memorial Stadium site, at the heart of the campus.

* This provides for direct loading and deliveries to campus venues, school bus parking and close-in ADA access near buildings in the center of the campus, most significantly Center House.

* Its central location also reduces the walking distance for mobility-challenged visitors to major activities on campus and the destination rooftop restaurant in Center House.

Pedestrian Connections

* A new emphasis on pedestrian safety with better connections to and through the site, especially from transit stops, is part of the Century 21 Master Plan.

* Improved East-West axial pedestrian paths on August Wilson Way, south of the Theatre District, and Thomas Street, south of Center House, combined with easy and fluid connections through Center House will improve the experience of walking about the campus.

* A new generous forecourt and path at the Center House north entry connects to underground parking and to McCaw Hall across an expanded International Fountain Lawn.

* Removing the loading and delivery functions from the surface level eliminates conflict with pedestrians and improves the sense of green refuge on the grounds.

Transit

* Transit improvements to better serve the Seattle Center campus can be realized through cooperation with Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Center staff will continue to advocate for better bus service, as the campus is not presently fully served by Metro bus routes. Many routes, especially those coming from the north, pass the Center altogether as they head downtown, and evening service to serve peak event hours is lacking.

* The Seattle Center Monorail runs to Westlake Center, currently connecting to local and regional buses, and will connect to light rail in 2009.

* A new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route has been proposed from north downtown to Ballard with a BRT stop proposed on the west side of Seattle Center on 1st Avenue North at Republican.

* The newly opened Seattle Streetcar at South Lake Union has created interest in a citywide streetcar network with a possible expansion to Seattle Center along the Central Line . There are ongoing discussions with SDOT about the best possible route to serve the Center, including a possible stop at 1st Avenue N. and Republican Street.

Parking

* New smart technology in garages, flex car sites and electric car plug-ins makes the reliance on cars a greener pursuit.

* Incentive pricing for carpooling and improved transit service during peak events are key to parking management planning in the future.

* With the new Master Plan fully realized, the number of parking spaces is reduced from 3,491 to 3,105 spaces (including the loss of the School District Parking Lot to make way for the new stadium/amphitheater). The Mercer Garage is removed and replaced with a smaller underground parking facility at the new sportsfield/amphitheater site.

Seattle Center generates a large number of city and countywide trips and must be more successfully integrated into the regional transportation system. Planning for transportation on site must be compatible with plans for the larger area. Seattle Center staff will continue to work in close collaboration with SDOT and other transportation agencies on larger connections and improvement projects in and around the campus. These include future plans for Mercer Corridor, Aurora (SR-99) and Broad Street, as well as larger planning efforts for adjacent neighborhoods, including South Lake Union, Uptown and Belltown. Multi-modal transportation planning is key to the Center's ability to safely welcome visitors from all parts of the region in the future.

4. PROGRAMMING

With the vision of the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, the region has an unprecedented opportunity to refresh both Seattle Center's core facilities and its programming. In February of 2008, Seattle Center Productions released its Public Programming Plan for 2012 and Beyond (see Appendix 3).

Seattle Center's current programming is divided into three distinct areas:

1) Commercial programs are a mainstay of Seattle Center and bring visitors to events held throughout the year at several commercial venues on site. These include full season and recurring events, such as Storm basketball games, or special events, such as rock concerts in KeyArena. An estimated 5,000 events per year bring people to the Center.

New and enhanced facilities are important to continue to attract commercial events. The range of new or improved commercial facilities in the Century 21 Master Plan include a new outdoor amphitheatre, new exhibition space and improvements to the KeyArena to enhance its competitiveness as a top tier multi-purpose regional venue.

Commercial activities are projected to grow in strategic ways as facilities are redeveloped and their use and market is re-envisioned. New lines of business are imagined.

2) Resident organizations offer a vast array of artistic and educational experiences such as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Bumbershoot, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Opera or Seattle Repertory Theatre. Resident organizations bring art, music, film, theater and science patrons to the campus who are young, old, families, singles and come from all walks of life and all cultures. The list of resident organizations on site currently includes:

ARTS:

Book-it Repertory Theatre

Intiman Theatre

KCTS/Channel 9

Northwest Craft Center

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pottery Northwest

Seattle Children's Theatre

Seattle International Film Festival Group

Seattle Opera

Seattle Repertory Theatre

Seattle Shakespeare Company

Theatre of Puget Sound

The VERA Project

ATTRACTIONS

EMP|SFM

Fun Forest Amusement Park

Pacific Science Center

Space Needle

The Children's Museum

FESTIVALS

Bite of Seattle Center

Bumbershoot

Northwest Folklife Festival

Seattle International Children's Festival

SPORTS

Seattle Storm

Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle Thunderbirds

The financial success of Seattle Center's resident organizations is an important consideration in the Century 21 Master Plan and siting in the public realm is a key desire for many resident organizations.

Center House's anchor tenants --The Children's Museum and the three theatre groups that share the Center House Theatre: Theatre of Puget Sound, Book-it Repertory Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Company -all believe they have outgrown their "incubator" space and are eager to grow into new, larger Seattle Center sites.

The resident organizations that comprise the Theatre District are eager for new amenities for their audiences and Pacific Science Center is beginning its own master plan and future visioning process.

3) Public Programs Free and low cost programs that Seattle Center produces and presents for the public to enjoy have been an important part of Seattle Center's mission since its creation after the 1962 Worlds Fair. Public programs are offered year-round and have long ensured that Seattle Center carries out its public mission.

With the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan, several campus facilities will benefit from major renovation, including Center House. In addition, open space will be expanded, creating more opportunities for outdoor activities for the community. Public programs will need to expand in significant ways to keep pace with the new Master Plan and to ensure that redeveloped open space and buildings are filled with activity that engages visitors.

The new Public Programming Plan issued in February 2008 provides a high level vision for future Seattle Center Productions' public programs and the physical spaces most affected by them. It proposes a range of seasonal programs, incidental encounters and large-scale entertainment.

5. PUBLIC ART

Seattle Center is home to many arts institutions, and also the site of many examples of public, visual art that enhance the visitor's experience in very different ways. These varied artworks reflect the many forms that are represented in the City of Seattle's collection, including free-standing sculptures, smaller interior portable works, site specific installations and elements integrated into architecture throughout the campus.

A wealth of existing artworks

Public art has been integral to the Seattle Center campus since its origin as the site for the 1962 World's Fair. Integrated into the original infrastructure of the site, Everett Dupen's Fountain of Creation reflected the forward-looking abstract forms of the Fair's architecture and set the stage for incorporation of artwork throughout the grounds, including Paul Horiuchi's historic Seattle Mural. Several significant freestanding sculptures were commissioned for the campus by public and private donors, including Tony Smith's seminal Moses and Arthur Lieberman's Olympic Iliad, now occupying the Broad Street Green along with more recent additions.

As Seattle Center developed, master planning and facility design included the thinking of artists from the earliest design stages to ensure the seamless weaving of art into landscape and architecture. Major public artworks have been integrated into new and renovated facilities throughout the campus.

Adding to the rich tradition of existing public artworks at Seattle Center, a major stained glass artwork by Dick Weiss, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be incorporated in the glass elevator tower of the new 5th Ave N parking garage, opening in July 2008. A new sculptural art work, will be installed near the Fisher Pavilion roof in the summer of 2008, and an artist will also be involved in the design of the new skatepark.

New Opportunities for Public Art in the Century 21 Master Plan

To complement this existing collection of artwork, the Century 21 Master Plan provides opportunities for a new art program to reinforce thematically and physically the master planning gestures and new capital projects. Options include artists commissions for artworks that:

* Are large-scale, significant projects covering a wide span of disciplines and media, from sculpture to technology

* Express the natural elements of earth, air, water, and fire

* Demonstrate green and sustainable concepts

* Provide focal points at major entries to Seattle Center and newly redeveloped gathering areas

* Reinforce urban design for the campus and strengthen new vistas, pedestrian corridors and outdoor spaces.

* Contribute to placemaking at entry portals and along axial vistas and pedestrian corridors such as August Wilson Way

* Integrate into facility redevelopment of:

o Center House

o New open space that connects the former Fun Forest location to Broad Street Green and the Mural Amphitheatre

o New amphitheatre site at Memorial Stadium

o New meeting spaces north and south of KeyArena

* Reference diverse cultures, including Native American and immigrant communities, recognizing their cultural contributions to Seattle

Seattle Center will also collaborate with the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs on any proposed redevelopment or relocation of existing artworks.

6. LANDMARKS

Landmark Designation:

The Historic Preservation Programs office is charged with the administration of local landmarks and is housed in Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods (DON). In order to be designated for City of Seattle Landmark status, a building, object or site must be at least 25 years old and meet one of the following six criteria:

* Location of, or associated with, a historic event with significant impact on community, city, state, nation

* Associated with the life of an important person in history of City, etc.

* Associated in significant way with significant aspect of cultural, political, economic heritage of community, etc.

* Embodies distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, period or method of construction

* Outstanding work of a designer or builder

* Because of prominence, siting, age or scale, has easily identifiable visual features and contributes distinctive quality or identity of neighborhood or City.

In addition to meeting one of the above, the building, object or site must also possess integrity or ability to convey its significance.

If a facility is over 50 years old, it must go through the nomination process prior to redevelopment or demolition.

Current Seattle Center Landmarks

In recent years, there have been a number of Landmark processes involving Seattle Center structures. There are currently four sites within Seattle Center that are designated as Seattle Landmarks:

* The Center House built in 1939

* Horiuchi Mural built in 1962 by Paul Horiuchi

* Kobe Bell given to Seattle in 1962

* The Space Needle built in 1961

The Space Needle is unique in that it is privately owned and operated. In addition, Landmark designation was proposed for both the Veterans Hall and the Monorail station. The Veterans Hall was ultimately not designated and was demolished in 2002 when the new Central Utility Plant was constructed. The Seattle Center Monorail station was designated by the Landmark's Board, as was the entire guideway, Westlake Station and both trains; however, all but the trains were removed from the final ordinance.

In the Controls and Incentives Agreements for the Center House and Horiuchi Mural, the areas that must have a Certificate of Approval from the City of Seattle's Landmark Preservation Board prior to alteration and significant change are defined, as well as the areas where a Certificate of Approval is not required.

For the Horiuchi Mural, no Certificate of Approval is needed for inkind maintenance or repairs or alterations to the stage. A Certificate of Approval is needed for "the entire mural and its substructure," therefore the changes as envisioned in the proposed Master Plan would need a Certificate of Approval. Given that the changes recommended in this Master Plan leave the Mural very close to its original location and sites it in a water feature, similar to its original setting, initial conversations with the Department of Neighborhoods staff have been positive about a successful Certificate of Approval process.

The Controls and Incentives Agreement for the Center House covers both the interior and exterior and states:

1. A Certificate of Approval, issued by the City of Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board pursuant to Seattle Municipal Code ("SMC", Ch.25.12), must be obtained, or the time for denying a Certificate of Approval application must have expired, before the Owner may make alterations or significant changes to:

a. The entire exterior of the building

b. The interior volume and structure of the Food Court/former central drill hall

c. The circulation corridors on the first, second and fourth floors of the head house/north block, including the stairs and main lobby to the Food Court/former central drill hall

d. The interior circulation ramps on the southeast and southwest corners of the building

e. The interior of the Officers' Room on the second floor of the head house/north wing

2. A certificate of Approval is not required for the following:

a. Any in-kind maintenance or repairs of the features listed in Section A.1.

b. Alterations to the skybridge to the Monorail station

c. Alterations to the addition on the southeast corner that houses the trash compactor

d. Alterations to the build-out on the southwest exterior that houses a vendor establishment

e. Alterations to the glass canopy additions on the west and south facades of the building

f. Alterations to all interior Food Court/former central drill hall vendor facilities and existing interior improvements, including the stage, stage lighting and stage sound facilities

g. Alterations to the elevator in the mezzanine in the Food Court/former central drill hall

h. Alterations to the open staircase connections between the Food Court/former central drill hall floor and the Children's Museum on the first floor interior

i. Alterations to the more recent addition of office partitions in the interior of the officers' room on the second floor of the head house/north wing

The changes proposed in this Century 21 Master Plan exceed the specific exceptions from the Certificate of Approval process noted above. However, within the Controls and Incentives Agreement, there is an implied understanding that the areas of the building where the Master Plan recommends changes; the west, south and east facades and the "food court", have been changed in the past. This is why a Certificate of Approval is not required for the additions at the southeast and southwest, the glass canopies along with west and south facades, the food court vendor facilities, stage, elevator and openings to the Children's Museum and some interior changes in the north core. The proposed roof top restaurant is shown stepped back from the north facade, a strategy that has been successful with additions on top of other landmarked structures. This will be a more complicated process than the Horiuchi Mural, but there is a rationale for proposing the Master Plan Improvements.

Additional Facilities that may be proposed for Landmark Designation:

There are also several other sites within Seattle Center that were identified in the City of Seattle Historic Resource Survey (updated in 2000). Some of the structures in the Historic Resource Survey, including many built for the 1962 Worlds Fair, are younger than the 50 year-old threshold for mandatory consideration of landmark status, but may be significant enough to be considered for landmark status. The sites include:

* Coliseum/KeyArena

* Northwest Rooms

* International Fountain

* Seattle Center Pavilion A

* NASA Warehouse

* Monorail Office/Frontier Gallery Building

* Northwest Craft Center

* Mercer Arena

* Exhibition Hall

* Mercer Garage

* Intiman Playhouse

Seattle Center Pavilion A is slated for demolition in late 2008 to make way for the new skatepark and Seattle Opera will shepherd the Mercer Arena designation process.

The Century 21 Master Plan proposes significant changes to a portion of the Northwest Room, the NASA building, the Monorail Office/Frontier Gallery Building and Northwest Craft Center. Changes or demolition prior to 2012 (50 years from construction) would not automatically trigger a nomination process.

Memorial Stadium and Memorial Wall

Memorial Stadium is actually two structures: the stadium completed in 1948 and the Memorial Wall, commissioned and constructed separately in 1952. To date, some veterans groups have proposed nominating the stadium, but a complete proposal has not been received by the Department of Neighborhoods. Since the stadium is more than 50 years old, a nomination process will be required before the improvements identified in this Century 21 Master Plan can begin.

As part of the Final EIS process, Seattle Center is initiating a separate nomination process for the Memorial Wall. The Century 21 Master Plan envisions a prominently relocated Memorial Wall adjacent to 5th Ave N. as part of the redevelopment of the Memorial Stadium site.

7. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

The Century 21 Committee and Seattle Center staff pursued an extensive public process while developing the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan. Since November 2006 when the Committee was first convened, more than 60 public meetings have been held with more than 1,000 members of the community. A complete set of meetings is documented in Appendix 7 C21 Public Involvement Schedule.

The approach has been one of openness seeking to engage the community in an ongoing conversation and imagine Seattle Center's future. Highlights of this process include:

November 2006 Mayor Nickels appoints the Century 21 Committee to help chart the future course of development for the next 20 years at Seattle Center.

January 2007 A series of public meetings and on-line discussions were held to elicit creative ideas and aspirations for Seattle Center. Input was gathered, research conducted by staff and consultants, an assessment of Seattle Center structures and operations at present and what the public might want for Seattle Center's future was accomplished.

February 2007 The Committee, staff and consultants hosted a weeklong design charrette at Seattle Center, which included key stakeholders, community groups and City staff cutting across many disciplines.

April 2007 -Another round of public meetings was held in the four corners of the City to share the public preliminary draft alternative plans for Seattle Center. Also that month, Seattle Center hosted the Living Center charrette with members of AIA Committee on the Environment and Cascadia Green Building Council.

June 2007 The Committee identified four alternative plans to be studied in the EIS process. These were subsequently confirmed by City Council.

Summer 2007 Meetings and charrettes were held with key stakeholders such as the Seattle School District, Center staff, the leadership of Seattle Center's resident organizations, the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, local civic groups such as Downtown Seattle Association and Allied Arts, and an initial assessment of impacts and mitigations by the EIS consultant team led to refinement of the alternative plans.

Nov. 2007 The Committee issued a Progress Report detailing the refinements and revisions to the alternatives,

Jan 2008 -Regular briefings to City Council began and will continue through July 2008.

A complete record of City Council materials will comprise Book 2 of the Century 21 Master Plan.

The Draft EIS was issued on Jan 3, 2008 with public meeting on Jan. 24, 2008. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting, and 18 provided spoken comments

Feb. 2008 During the 30-day DEIS comment period, 35 letters or emails were received.

March 2008 The Committee publishes Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan and hosts another series of public meetings throughout the city. Review of the Master Plan continues by City agencies including the Department of Planning and Development, Seattle Department of Transportation, the Design Commission, Planning Commission and Public Art Advisory Committee.

Summer 2008 -The Final EIS was published in June 2008. In addition to identifying the selected preferred alternative for the Master Plan, it included all written comments received during the DEIS comment period and the oral comments made at the public hearing, and Seattle Center's responses to those comments.

Complete copies of the EIS Scoping Notice, Draft EIS and Final EIS, and an updated Transportation Management Plan, will comprise Book 3 of the Century 21 Master Plan.

8. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Capital Costs

The estimated capital costs of Seattle Center Master Plan improvements are as follows:

Center House Zone 255.4 Memorial Stadium Zone 206.6 1 Theatre District Zone 9.7 KeyArena Zone 95.32

Total Estimated Capital Costs (millions) 567

NOTES:

1. Figure adjusted from $257.8 million to reflect changes of building size and use, as requested by Council.

2. Figure adjusted from $153.6 million to reflect changes in building size and use, as requested by Council.

The above numbers are in December 2007 dollars. These estimates were developed by SRG Partnership, the lead consultant for the Seattle Center Master Plan, in consultation with two of the leading construction companies in the region and Seattle Center staff. These are estimated total project costs, including a 15% design contingency (to reflect the fact these are pre-design numbers), and soft costs, including a 10% construction contingency. For a more detailed breakout of costs by zone, see Table 1.

The Seattle Center Master Plan is a 20-year plan intended to guide capital investments in Seattle Center over the next two decades. The plan will be implemented incrementally as demand, opportunities and resources converge, in the same manner that campus redevelopment has occurred since the adoption of the 1990 Seattle Center Master Plan. The 1990 Master Plan led to $700 million in capital improvements on the Seattle Center campus in the 14-year period from 1991 through 2004.

Capital improvements at Seattle Center over the next 20 years will be funded by a combination of public and private funds, in the same manner as occurred following the 1990 Master Plan. Of the $700 million in improvements since 1990, $440 million resulted from private funding (see Table 2). Opportunities for private investment and for public/private partnerships exist throughout the new Seattle Center Master Plan, including:

* Center House restaurants and improvements by other Center House tenants

* Memorial Stadium Amphitheatre naming rights, exclusive booking options and concession rights

* New Upper Northwest Rooms Building private development and retail

* New retail, residential and restaurant amenities encircling KeyArena

* Theatre Commons and August Wilson Way

In addition, Memorial Stadium Zone improvements in the Master Plan include an underground multi-modal transportation center with parking right in the heart of the Seattle Center campus. Creation of this parking and transportation hub would free up the current Mercer Street Garage site for redevelopment by the City or a public/private partnership. This would not only result in a significant improvement to the Theatre District and for the Uptown neighborhood, but the City's share of proceeds from redevelopment of the current garage site could help fund the transportation center.

Not included in the above Master Plan capital costs are the following:

* Financing costs

* Construction escalation costs

* Relocation or closure costs due to construction

* Future major maintenance costs for new campus facilities

Economic Impact of Seattle Center

In 2005, a study was undertaken to measure Seattle Center's economic impact on the region. According to the report, which was prepared by Dr. William Beyers of the University of Washington Department of Geography in collaboration with GMA Research Corporation, spending of Seattle Center visitors and businesses contributed $1.15 billion to the local economy in 2005, accounting for 15,534 jobs, $387 million in labor income in King County, and $41 million in tax revenue for State and local government.

The Seattle Center Economic Impact Assessment measured the combined impact of all of Seattle Center's resident organizations and related business activity. In this context, the capital improvements included in the Seattle Center Master Plan are an investment to support and enhance the vitality of a campus that contributes over a billion dollars to the local economy on an annual basis. With the opportunities for public/private partnerships and new commercial activity cited above, and with added capacity for events on the grounds in enhanced public spaces, it stands to reason that the Master Plan improvements, when fully implemented, would result in an increase from the 2005 level for total economic impact of the Seattle Center campus on the local economy. In addition, the construction impacts alone would add an estimated $40 million in tax revenue and provide thousands of jobs over the course of the implementation of the Master Plan.

Operating Revenue and Expenses

Seattle Center staff, in collaboration with the Master Plan consultant team, has developed an estimate of the annual revenue and expense impacts on Seattle Center's operating budget of the capital improvements included in the Seattle Center Master Plan. The cumulative annual operating impact of all the Master Plan improvements, prior to Council revision, is calculated to be a positive $1.1 million, in 2006 dollars. This is the estimated net impact over a 2006 baseline budget for Seattle Center. The year 2006 was used because it was the most recent full calendar year for which actual revenue and expense numbers were available when this work commenced. This calculation assumes that all of the Master Plan improvements are in place. In fact, Master Plan improvements will be made incrementally over time, and thus the annual operating impacts will be incremental over time. The estimated operating expense and revenue are based on completed projects and do not include revenue losses due to facilities being closed for construction, or expenses incurred to relocate staff during construction. They also do not include any changes in rates or fees.

It is important to note that these revenue and expense projections are only in regard to Seattle Center's operating budget. The 2006 Seattle Center Economic Impact Assessment cited above demonstrates that investment at Seattle Center improves not only the bottom line of one department of the City of Seattle, but enhances the economic impact of all the resident organizations which in turn positively affects the immediate neighborhood, the city, the county and the Puget Sound region.

Table 1 Seattle Center Master Plan Estimated Capital Costs

Table 2 Seattle Center Redevelopment by Fund Source (part 1)

Seattle Center Redevelopment by Fund Source (part 2)

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