The downtown area has not had a large public high school in decades, and it looks like plans are being made to remedy that. There are currently more than 1,900 children 18 and under who call downtown home and that number is rising each year. The Downtown Seattle Association has been advocating for a new public school in downtown for years. Their data shows that the number of downtown students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools has increased by 73% between 2007 and 2016. Especially the four neighborhoods north of downtown (Denny Triangle, South Lake Union, Belltown, and Uptown) where data shows the number of kids doubling from 2010-2020.
A letter released earlier this month signed by Seattle’s Mayor Ed Murray and Seattle School District Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland outlines plans for a new Memorial Stadium and construction of a new High School. The letter, officially signed in July, states that both the city of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools “agree to jointly develop an agreement to collaborate on the design of SPS properties for a new Memorial Stadium and High School that meets the stated needs of SPS and the adjacent Seattle Center property.” SPS owns the 9-acre site on the east side of Seattle Center where the 70-year old stadium sits. The 12,000 seat venue is still used for high school football games, Bumbershoot, and Seattle Reign FC soccer matches.
The city is planning to draft an update to the Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan reflecting the anticipated changes and investments, including the possible redevelopment of Key Arena, Space Needle renovation, new transit station(s), future SPS facilities, parking capacity, and potential redevelopment of other Seattle Center properties.
The group has a team of architects and planners who will be working over the next couple of months to evaluate options that will best serve the needs of the district and Seattle Center along with aiming for a design that will be “spectacular and integrated with the Seattle Center campus.” Any new project would have to accommodate high school sports and parking. If need be, the district plans to consider alternative sites for the school.
No start date or cost estimates have been announced. However, per the letter, this city has stated that they are willing to consider a financial partnership with SPS.