Taking Shape and On-Schedule: Washington State Convention Center Summit Building Celebrates Year of Progress 

SEATTLE – Celebrating one year since its ground-breaking, the Washington State Convention Center’s new Summit building is taking shape and construction is on schedule. Meetings and conventions bookings for Seattle have been on the rise and the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is adding Summit to help meet those needs. The building is already proving to be an asset having booked 16 meetings and conventions upon its opening in spring 2022, bringing an estimated $171.4 million to the city.

At the Summit building site, construction crews have been busy excavating and laying the building’s foundation. Two newly released time-lapse videos capture work at the site over the past year.

These milestones have also occurred:

• 199,272 hours – Total project hours worked, including 98 apprentices
• 36,692 tons – Waste recycled and kept from landfills
• 3,000 linear feet – Reclaimed Douglas Fir columns, beams and trusses salvaged from a former building to be re-purposed in the Summit building
• 257,000 cubic yards – Dirt removed
• 7,800 cubic yards – Concrete poured
• Six cranes – The number currently on site. The height of the tallest crane is 318 feet and it has a 235-foot reach
• 30 pieces – The average number of heavy machinery onsite for construction, like bulldozers and excavators

Seattle is the jewel of the Pacific Northwest and poised to meet the needs of convention and meetings clients now and in the future. Seattle is the eighth most walkable city in the U.S., according to USA Today, as determined by its Walk Score. In addition, Seattle consistently ranks among the best big cities in the nation for its culture, inclusivity, creativity and healthful lifestyles. In the past two years, nine hotels have opened in Seattle, adding nearly 2,500 hotel rooms to the downtown core from well-known brands like Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott as well as boutique hotels, like The State Hotel and Palihotel. The new hotel supply meets the needs of growing connectivity through SeaTac International Airport as well, which now offers 1,045 daily non-stop flights operated by 30 airlines, including Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines, which operate hubs in Seattle. In fact, SeaTac Airport has been the fastest growing large airport in the country for the past three years.

More than a convention center, the Summit building is also the conduit for a $93 million community benefits package, creates better mobility in the downtown core, enhances economic opportunities and provides affordable housing for residents in the greater community.

When finished, the $1.7 billion Summit building will add 570,290 square feet of event space to the WSCC and generate more than $19 million dollars in revenue each year by bringing year-round demand to area restaurants, retailers, performing arts centers and cultural sites, as well as to hotels.

Links:

• Media Kit: 
  • visitseattle.org/press/convention-center-groundbreaking-press-kit
• Images & Video: 
  • https://visitseattle.canto.com/b/P73V4

About Visit Seattle:

Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales and overseas tourism development. More than 40 million annual visitors spend $7.9 billion in the city and county each year. The economic power of travel and tourism generates more than 78,000 Seattle area jobs and contributes $806 million in annual state and local tax revenue. Go to visitseattle.org.

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