CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION establishing the City’s continuing support to advance a public-private partnership through future agreements between The City of Seattle, Seattle Public Schools, and the One Roof Partnership; and addressing funding needs to develop a new world-class Memorial Stadium serving students, youth, and the community and that is transformative for Seattle Center.
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WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution 32092 on May 16, 2023, establishing the City’s support for a new Memorial Stadium through a public-private partnership to replace the 76-year-old stadium with a financially sustainable, state-of-the-art, multipurpose sports, educational, and entertainment facility of prominent design, centered on students and youth, and fully integrated with the Seattle Center campus (the “Project”); and
WHEREAS, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and The City of Seattle (“City”) issued a request for proposals and jointly selected the One Roof Partnership, an entity that includes the One Roof Foundation, Seattle Kraken, and Climate Pledge Arena, for further negotiation as a potential partner to invest in, construct, operate, and maintain the Project in partnership with SPS and the City; and
WHEREAS, the One Roof Partnership proposal for the Project is a vision for a state-of-the-art student- and community-centered facility that provides a significant investment in the lives of students, youth, and the community, and will preserve SPS’s ownership and use of the facility for student athletics, graduation, and other educational purposes; and
WHEREAS, the One Roof Partnership is committed to investing in students through educational experiences, internships, and support for sports, arts, and cultural opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the One Roof Partnership Project proposal is a design that authentically relates to and integrates with the Seattle Center landscape, and reflects its historic and community values; and
WHEREAS, the One Roof Partnership Project proposal is estimated to cost $150 million that must be funded through a strong public-private funding partnership; and
WHEREAS, in February 2022, Seattle voters approved $66.5 million in the SPS 2022 Building Technology Athletics and Academics (“BTA V”) levy for the Project; and
WHEREAS, the City Council approved a $21 million investment for the Project in the 2023 City budget and also unanimously adopted Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) CEN-602-A-002-2023, which expressed the Council’s intent to work with the Mayor and SPS to identify additional funding above the initial $21 million for the Project, with the goal of reaching a combined total contribution of $40 million; and
WHEREAS, the One Roof Partnership is committed to leading the fundraising effort to raise the remaining private and philanthropic dollars necessary to supplement the public funds to close the funding gap and to be responsible for any potential cost increases or cost overruns; and
WHEREAS, the financial commitments demonstrated through the partnership of the City, SPS and One Roof Partnership are essential to successfully securing the private and philanthropic funding needed to complete the project budget; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The City Council generally supports the One Roof Partnership’s vision for a new Memorial Stadium as described in its response to the City/Seattle Public Schools (SPS) joint request for proposals, and filed with the City Clerk, in particular the commitments to invest in, develop, construct, operate, and maintain a student- and community-oriented Memorial Stadium that will be transformative for Seattle Center and to lead private and philanthropic fundraising. The City Council encourages the Executive’s project team to advance discussions on the public-private partnership consistent with the One Roof Partnership’s overall vision, and to fully develop the range of public benefits described in their proposal for the benefit of SPS students and the Seattle Center community.
Section 2. The City Council established its intent via Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) CEN-602-A-002-2023 to continue working with the Mayor and SPS to identify additional funding, with the goal of reaching a total of $40 million in City funding to support specific elements of the Memorial Stadium project that would support operations of Seattle Center and expand and enhance open space connections between the campus and the stadium. Building on that intent and to support the completion of agreements to advance the Project, consistent with SLI CEN-602-A-002-2023, the City Council reaffirms its intent to work to identify additional City funding for the Memorial Stadium project anticipated to be needed in 2026-2027, leveraging funds provided by Seattle Public Schools and the One Roof Partnership.
Section 3. The City Council requests that the Mayor’s Office and Seattle Center develop the agreements necessary to implement the Project (“Agreements”) and transmit legislation to authorize the Agreements for the Council’s review and action. These Agreements will address the property and use rights between the City, SPS, and the One Roof Partnership, as well as the design and construction of the Project, the financial and legal terms for the Project’s construction, prevailing wage and labor harmony requirements, and responsibilities for the long-term operation of the Project. The Agreements will be subject to review and approval by the City Council and the SPS Board of Directors.
Section 4. The Council requests that Seattle Center, in collaboration with SPS and the One Roof Partnership, implement a community engagement process that helps to ensure that the Project welcomes and serves students and youth, fosters equity and inclusivity, integrates with and supports Seattle Center, and recognizes the importance of the site’s history.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2023, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2023.
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President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2023.
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2023.
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Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)