Periodically I will provide a mayor’s perspective on news items of importance to Renton residents.
Submit your comments.
Subscribe
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Number 13
Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer and Mayor Armondo Pavone (center) are flanked by Renton City Councilmembers Kim-Khánh Văn, Ryan McIrvin, Ed Prince, and Valerie O’Halloran, and Unico Development’s Ned Carner, for the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Today is certainly another great day for Renton!
We officially welcomed Seattle Sounders FC to our community with the announcement that Sounders FC Center at Longacres will open in 2024.
And the Sounders don’t want to just occupy space in Renton, they want to be a part of our community. We’ve already seen their commitment to the community when last year, their RAVE Green Foundation worked with our parks and recreation department to bring a beautiful mini-pitch to Highlands Park.
Soccer is a very international, multicultural experience that has a unifying effect. With our standing as one of the most diverse cities in the country, their arrival compliments the diversity and inclusivity of our community.
Longacres holds so much history for our community. It started as a dairy farm, then became the hub for thoroughbred horse racing in the northwest and one of the oldest racetracks in the country. So, of course, it hurt when it was closed for re-development thirty years ago. But it was worth the wait, and we are proud to team with the Sounders and return the site to its sporting roots.
Sounders FC Center at Longacres is not only about buildings and training pitches. It will set the tone for the franchise’s next 50 years. If Seattle is chosen as a host city for the 2026 World Cup, the center will also serve as a training base for one of the participating countries.
We’re now home to two franchises—Seahawks and Sounders—who are recognized worldwide for not just the championships they’ve won but also for being first-class organizations, role models, and invaluable community partners. If you’re curious, their two headquarters are about 7 miles apart.
As I told Sounders FC majority owner Adrian Hanauer and general manager and president of soccer Garth Lagerwey at today’s ceremony, we’re incredibly proud they’ve chosen Renton as their home and are excited to help them become part of our community and achieve their goals.
Previous Mayor's Updates
- November 5, 2021 - Renton’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion leads to several impactful initiatives
- October 1, 2021 - Human Services Funding: City Council increases Human Services budget almost three-fold; approves three projects through HB 1590
- August 31, 2021 - Solera is the cornerstone of our ongoing redevelopment of the Sunset area
- June 22, 2021 - Support Housing: Mayor Pavone and county executive announce Renton hotel is part of Health Through Housing initiative
- December 18, 2020 - City Council passes emergency ordinance for interim zoning controls