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After funding fell through with previous proposals, Seattle Parks and Recreation is calling for investors in one of Warren G. Magnuson Park’s historic airplane hangers.
A former site of a naval station, the 350-acre park is home to a bunch of historic structures, including one hosting an art gallery and studios. One building is home to a renovated hangar, available for events, and a community center in a former brig.
One of these hangars, known as Building 2, is in need of activation, according to Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR).
The structure includes two former hangars, one 15,500 square feet and the other more than twice that at 32,500 square feet, plus workshops and offices. A former steam plant could also be thrown in as part of the deal.
Applicants would be required to come up with a plan to reach out to Magnuson Park residents, including those in nearby Solid Ground and Mercy Housing projects.
Other buildings in Magnuson Park house the Mountaineers, Cascade Bicycle Club, Earth Corps, and a tennis center—all developed through public-private partnership. Public-private partnership investment in Magnuson Park currently totals around $30 million.
In addition to the indoor spaces, the park is home to nine athletic fields, a nine-acre dog park, and a field popular for outdoor movies.
Event spaces in the hangars host many popular annual events, including the Friends of the Library book sale and some indie craft fairs.
Once an investor is chosen, the building lease would be negotiated, and would be subject to city council approval.
This article has been updated since its original publication. Originally, it said the city had issued a second RFP, when it’s entering into a more informal process this time around.