washington business
“ Seattle stands to gain great benefits because of how we ’ ve developed downtown as a place with arts , culture and music in addition to great restaurants and retail .”
— Jon Scholes , Downtown Seattle Association
Scholes notes that a significant amount of public and private investment has occurred in or near downtown over the last decade . These investments include the Seattle Convention Center Summit building , which opened in January ; the demolition of the viaduct along the waterfront ; and ongoing light rail extensions , including three new stations that opened in 2021 .
“ We have a very walkable downtown , which is one of the reasons MLB wanted to bring the game here ,” Scholes said . “ But people will do more than just go to the game once they get here . Seattle stands to gain great benefits because of how we ’ ve developed downtown as a place with arts , culture and music in addition to great restaurants and retail .”
Seattle hosted its first All-Star Game in 1979 in the then-new Kingdome . ( Photo : King County Archives )
just the beginning
All-Star Week is just one of many high-profile sporting events Seattle will be hosting in the coming years . The Kraken will take on the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park during the NHL Winter Classic in January 2024 . Climate Pledge Arena , which saw record crowds at the NCAA Division I women ’ s basketball tournament regional in March , will host first- and second-round games of the NCAA Division I men ’ s basketball tournament in March 2025 . And in 2026 , Seattle will take its turn on the global stage as a host city for the FIFA World Cup .
“ When you look at all the exciting things happening in the next seven to 10 years , it really feels on the order of the World ’ s Fair ,” Smith said .
Knox notes that MLB All-Star Week is helping set the stage for future opportunities . By hosting a successful event this year , Seattle will have an edge when bidding on other events .
“ We consider each hosting opportunity a building block for the next premier event ,” said Knox . “ Our goal is to provide the fans an All-Star experience this summer and then raise the bar on future sporting events that position Seattle as a world-class destination for athletes and sports fans alike .” Luckily , Seattle is up for the challenge . “ We ’ re so much better positioned now , as a city and a downtown , to host significant events . We ’ ve got more hotel capacity than ever . We have a gleaming new convention center facility . The stadiums continue to make investments in elevating the fan experience , and we have a lot more transportation options ,” Scholes said . “ Seattle ’ s always been a great place to bring events to , but I think we ’ re on a new level now . We ’ re truly a big events town .”
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