SEATTLE – THE Seattle Convention Center will double in size next month with the opening of the Summit buildingbringing the total event space to 573,770 square feet. The Summit building will offer 20% more pre-function space than the existing Arch building to allow for more networking and gathering opportunities outside of the exhibit hall.
“This opening has been long awaited by many, but especially by our local corporate customers,” Visit Seattle said. Anita Cerana, CMP’s national accounts director, said, “We will have additional availability and organizations will be able to expand their programs through this meetings campus. With the abundance of natural light in the building and the targeted LEED Platinum certification, it is seen as a refreshing option for reimagined programs coming out of the pandemic.”
Visit Seattle guest Trade Fair Manager for a tour of the Summit construction site ahead of its grand opening in January, as well as a look at other projects underway in the city.
Summit Building Details
Located two blocks from the Arch Building, the Summit Building adds 248,450 square feet of exhibition space, 62 meeting rooms totaling 99,620 square feet and 18 covered loading docks to the convention center campus and will also add a 14,000-square-foot outdoor garden terrace, perfect for outdoor entertaining. Part of the expansion with the Summit building includes using $10 million to renovate Highway Parka public park located just steps from the convention center gates.
““The complexity of this project is mind-boggling. It was an incredible feat to build this project in the heart of our downtown,” said Kelly Saling, Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of Visit Seattle. “Temporarily moving streets, reimagining the pedestrian flow of this area, connecting neighborhoods – it’s truly incredible. And it all pays off when we have two buildings in the heart of downtown with easy walking access to our amazing hotel package and incredible amenities.”
The Summit Building, like the Arch Building renovations, was built with sustainability in mind and has already achieved LEED Certification Gold Certification on the road to Platinum Certification. The new building features a 58,000-square-foot ballroom with 3,900 recycled planks from timber rafts suspended from the ceiling and various lighting options. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide natural light during the day and reduce the need for interior lighting.
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Much of the building’s wood details are recycled, including the wooden entrance to the ballroom, where signs of its previous use and wear are visible, giving it a recognizable connection to Seattle’s history. A radiant floor was also installed, which uses sunlight to heat the building.
Taking visitors beyond the four walls of an exhibit hall was also a goal for Summit, and creating spaces where meaningful connections can happen naturally led to having 20% more pre-function space than the Arch building.
““The design was focused on meetings and conventions of the future, which meant paying special attention to spaces outside the meeting room,” Saling said. “During the pandemic, we learned that connection is everything. Content is essential and can be consumed in a variety of ways. But the connections that happen in spaces outside the meeting room are the progress, joy, and productivity that cannot be replaced.”
Around the city
““Seattle is fortunate to have a very wide range of lodging options for organizers,” Cerana said. “Typically, Seattle can accommodate about 5,000 rooms on peak nights within a one-mile radius of the convention center.”
Beyond the convention center campus, the city of Seattle is in the midst of the $756 million Waterfront Seattle project and the expansion of the Seattle Aquarium. Waterfront Seattle is expected to be completed by 2025. As part of that project, Pier 62 opened in 2021 and has hosted about 120 events throughout the year, drawing about 100,000 people to the site. The new Habitat Beach will provide direct access to the waterfront, and the Elliot Bay Seawall, created in partnership with University of Washington scientists, will provide improved salmon habitat and a waterfront promenade.
The city’s emblematic Space Needle The building benefited from a $100 million reinvestment as part of its Century Project, which added 20,000 square feet of glass for more views. The Needle’s walls and cable cages were replaced with tilting glass walls that slope outward, allowing visitors to appear to float above the city. At the 500-foot level, there is a rotating glass floor offering views of Seattle and the Space Needle structure.
““Our city has so much to offer and so much is being improved,” Cerana said. “These new projects will make it easier than ever for attendees to come here and enjoy the remarkable parks, venues and local businesses that make Seattle so special.”
Contact Kelly Saling at (206) 461-5802 or ksaling@visitseattle.org; Anita Cerana at (571) 334-6091 or ACerana@visitseattle.org
