Seahawks Try Out New Digs
August 07, 2008
(Courtesy of the DJC) - The Seattle Seahawks held their first practice yesterday at the team's new headquarters and training center in Renton, on the southeast shore of Lake Washington. The 225,000-square-foot Virginia Mason Athletic Center is the second-largest such center in the National Football League, and the only one with waterfront real estate. Players and coaches will be able to arrive by boat, said team spokes woman Suzanne Lavender, and tie up along the 150-foot dock. The complex has a three-story office and training area, and an 88,000-square-foot indoor practice field with a sloping metal roof that rises to 112 feet. Outside are three more full-size practice fields and seating for fans.
The soaring entry makes use of Northwest materials use such as timber, stone and Douglas fir. The interior features exposed structural bracing, lots of skylights and colorful team banners lining the three-story walls. On the first floor is a large auditorium, plus a 6,000-square-foot locker room, lounge, training room, weight room, team meeting rooms and media production studios.
On the second floor are coaching and football personnel offices, in addition to a room designed for coaching staff to use when drafting college players. A 2,000-square-foot cafeteria overlooks the lake. The top level holds administrative offices, and offices for the Seattle Sounders FC soccer team.
Football players and staff won't return to the building until Monday, Aug. 18, when the move-in is completed. The building replaces a much smaller facility the team has been using in Kirkland. The 19-acre Renton site was formerly home to a coal tar refinery and creosote plant. It is owned by Vulcan Real Estate, which is owned by Seahawks owner Paul Allen.
Crawford Architect of Kansas City, Mo., was the architect, and Bayley Construction was the general contractor. Other project team members include Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Shannon & Wilson, Flack & Kurtz, EDAW/Aecom, Retec, McKinstry and Holmes Electric.
