Why this is a win for Seattle Center

Your campus gains a building. The Arch at Pike & 8th is a natural extension of the Seattle Center mission — civic, cultural, year-round activation of public space. You already operate Fisher Pavilion at roughly $3–5M in annual programming revenue. The Arch is ten times the scale, in the city's densest pedestrian corridor. If the City purchases the Arch, Seattle Center is the obvious operator. This is the institution's century project.

The capital case doesn't have to be either/or. Seattle Center's own facility renovation agenda and an Arch acquisition are a stronger combined ask than either alone — a once-in-a-generation expansion of the campus paired with the modernization the existing facilities need. The Arch also adds programming revenue and political profile that strengthens the case for the whole campus.

If the Armory's long-term future is uncertain — aging infrastructure, deferred capital, a building that no longer fits the campus vision — the Arch isn't just an addition, it's a strategic replacement: a food, market, and gathering hall at ten times the scale and in a far more prominent location. That reframes the conversation from "can Seattle Center take on more?" to "what does Seattle Center become when it has a building in the heart of downtown?"