Is the Seattle center a waste of Space? (Bellevue, Pacific: real estate, house)

[DevanXL]

Last week I got a chance to walk around the Seattle center. Besides the space needle, pacific science center (which desperately needs to be redone), EMP, and new glass museum, alot of the land looks kinda sad. Seattle center though great space seems to really only use half of the space. With a new arena almost guaranteed for sometime in the near future, and downtown rapidly growing, would you like to see the vacant land redeveloped into functional urban properties? If the the center stays the way it is now I would like to see much of the area turned into green space with sculptures and lots of trees.

[BellevueNative]

The problem with Seattle Center - or one of the big problems as I see it - is that it is surrounded by buildings on the perimeter. The grassy spaces and fountain on the interior are great, but they are underused because I think people just forget about them. I'd like for them to tear down the old Arena and Memorial Stadium (which is soooooo run down) so the green space feels more inviting and essentially extends out to the street.

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

The problem with Seattle Center - or one of the big problems as I see it - is that it is surrounded by buildings on the perimeter. The grassy spaces and fountain on the interior are great, but they are underused because I think people just forget about them. I'd like for them to tear down the old Arena and Memorial Stadium (which is soooooo run down) so the green space feels more inviting and essentially extends out to the street.

Agree with you with memorial stadium but the school district has no plan in building something new. They should square off the area where the spaceneedle, emp, and science center is and turn the rest into into a mini central park with lots of shade, gardens, walk ways, and art.

[SaltyDawg]

It's poorly-utilized. Great work has been done with the Armory - it used to be as sad as a suburban strip mall but now at least has good local food and efforts at uniqueness - but it's an incredibly valuable piece of land that lacks a coherent use case for most of the people that live on top of it.

A Central Park-like reimagining would be amazing. The Sculpture Park is wonderful, but is an example of genius use of a space otherwise wasted. Seattle Center is prime real estate that should operate as a true "Center" of Seattle, and its current configuration doesn't allow for it.

[JBVirtuoso]

It's really just a problem with the walkways and access points. There's nothing to draw people into the open space, and it's not framed in a way that makes it look complete. When you approach Seattle Center from Denny, 1st Ave, Mercer, or 5th Ave, all major streets around the edge, there's nothing that would make you think there's a lovely park behind all those dated concrete buildings and parking garages.

The land for Seattle Center was haphazardly acquired and quickly developed, which shows. The way you access it is to walk down the street until it abruptly ends in a concrete barrier. Even when I lived in Queen Anne, I often walked around Seattle Center rather than try to navigate the paths through it.

I don't think Seattle Center has the potential to be anything like Central Park unless a whole bunch of those buildings come down, especially Key Arena and the Pacific Science Center. It's more of a campus than a park, and there's not enough land left over to make it feel like a proper park.

[Harrier]

Harrier was going to suggest giving Seattle Center a Needle, but realized that he is too late.

[GatsbyGatz]

I believe Disney offered to build an entertainment park at that location, but city council thought they could do better than Disney. Of course, they were mistaken. What would've been a great tourist location is instead a sort of forgettable place.

[DevanXL]

To be honest, i would mind seeing the pacific science center being replaced with a real science and natural history museum. It can house all the same type of exhibits in a more mature longstanding setting. Preferably in another location and that area be converted. Being the emerald city, a nice green treelined park surrounding the space needle would be great.

[Jiff]

"waste of space"? No. Pasting part of my post from Devan XL's Center topic from last year:

The Center hosts people playing at the fountain, skateboarders, a tower with a restaurant and nice view from a rotating top, a monorail station, the Seattle Opera, PNW Ballet, dance and theater groups like Seattle Repertory Theater, Children's Theater, ethnic celebrations and events like the beer festival at the Pavillion and Center House/Armory, art exhibits, EMP, the Vera Project, Seattle Storm, Seattle U basketball, roller derby, Seattle Reign women's pro soccer, high school football, ice skating, Vera Project, SIFF, Teatro ZinZanni across Mercer, Seattle's Best Happy Hour, Bumbershoot, Folklife, concerts, including KEXP's summer series at the Mural.

[GatsbyGatz]

^I guess I take back my previous comment. There's plenty at the SC, I just think they can make it look a little more interesting, add some foot carts, or add something within all the dead spaces. I biked down to South Lake Union today and stopped over at the SC. My girl and I made a whole tour and were both said to one another: "is that it?" If I were a tourist, I don't think the SC would impress me.