Tear Down The Kingdome, Panel Advises Task Force Recommends New Stadium In Its Place
A task force exploring the fate of the Kingdome recommended Friday that the concrete-roofed stadium be torn down and replaced with an open-air, natural grass football stadium - the option favored by prospective Seahawks buyer Paul Allen.
Such a stadium is expected to cost between $370 million and $402 million.
The task force discarded other options, including renovating the 20-year-old, county-owned Kingdome. That would have cost between $337 million and $387 million.
Billionaire Allen, who holds an option to purchase the Seahawks, had told the task force that a plan for an open-air stadium on the Kingdome site could count on $100 million in private financing from his Football Northwest organization and other private sources. But he said he would not pay anything toward renovating the Kingdome.
Allen must decide by July whether to exercise his option and buy the team from California developer Ken Behring.
Earlier this week, King County Executive Gary Locke, now governor-elect, announced agreement with Allen on a revision in the Seahawks’ current lease, trimming it from nine years to three years and providing other concessions.
The county council must also vote on the lease revision. Council budget committee members planned to meet Sunday to consider the lease revision proposal, with the hope that the full council would vote on the measure on Monday.
But several council members want more time to review the lease package, so a full council vote could be delayed.
Some county council members, facing pressure by the Seattle Mariners baseball team and the Seahawks to build two new stadiums, want to slow down.
Councilwoman Maggi Fimia on Thursday introduced a proposed ordinance to require an advisory public vote before the county can sell bonds to help pay for any new professional sports venue.
If passed by the 13-member council, the ordinance could affect plans to build a new $363.5 million ballpark for the Mariners and possibly a new football stadium for the Seahawks.
xxxx The advisory vote by the SeahawksKingdome Renovation Task Force will be forwarded to the Metropolitan King County Council for approval.