Everett seeks extra $10.6M for new stadium, future home of AquaSox

Everett is making the case for its City Council to put more money toward its new stadium, with a vote set for Wednesday.

City officials are seeking an extra $10.6 million to help complete the design of the Everett Outdoor Event Center - first approved by the council in 2022 - and buy properties.

The ballpark is planned as the future home of the Everett AquaSox, a minor league baseball team, alongside United Soccer League teams.

The requested funding would go toward costs for design services, partial property acquisition and more, per a City Council agenda item cover sheet.

The estimated price tag for the project is $120 million, with the latest ask folded into that number.

So far, the Everett City Council has only approved about $7 million: $4.8 million in August that went toward partial design, consulting and property acquisition expenses and $2.4 million on a study and consultant work, per city spokesperson Jason Kelly.

As you walk around downtown, you see historic investment in lots of different facilities, dating back to, like, the Historic Everett Theatre," Dan Eernissee, the city's economic development director, said Monday. "It's just legacy projects, and I'm really proud just to be able to be involved in one."

An update shared with the council this month estimates that the project will reach the finish line in late 2027. According to the timeline, once the city has the council's approval to take over control of the site near Angel of the Winds Arena, construction will be underway by September.

City Council President Don Schwab and Vice President Paula Rhyne didn't respond to interview requests. Danny Tetzlaff, general manager of the Everett AquaSox, declined to comment.

The city has to buy existing properties within the site in order to begin building the ballpark. So far, Everett has made 14 offers, with two purchase agreements executed and four pending.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has committed a $7.4 million grant toward the stadium, which can be accessed after the city makes those real estate gains.

Almost four years of progress

The project has seen almost four years of progress.

Major League Baseball put new stadium requirements into effect in 2021, which impacted the AquaSox. The franchise has played in Everett since 1984.

Funko Field, 3900 Broadway, is no longer suitable home turf because it "does not meet the standards required by Major League Baseball for a High-A minor league team," the city wrote on its website.

The AquaSox are slapped with a penalty each year the team breaches those new rules, the Puget Sound Business Journal wrote.

As such, the team's owners are open to signing at least a 30-year lease as the new stadium's anchor tenant, per Everett's government website.

Lease negotiations will take several more months, project consultant Ben Franz said Monday.

The city contends that the Everett Outdoor Event Center will create more jobs, draw in residents, ramp up tourism and boost the local economy. However, it could force out several existing businesses to make room for the ballpark.

Everett City Council officially backed the new stadium in September 2022, alongside the Snohomish County Council and Snohomish County.

Everett City Council greenlit Shiels Obletz Johnsen, a firm with offices in Seattle and Portland, as the project manager in November 2023.

Over a year later, the City Council approved the site downtown to host the new stadium.

Initially, Everett officials projected that construction would amount to between $60 million and $80 million, with the cost of land falling between $20 million and $40 million, according to estimates posted online.

Revised numbers from late last month show that the project could require $66 million for construction and sales tax, $35 million for property acquisition and $19 million for designs and permits.

Franz told The Times that the $35 million figure is "really a good news component for the city of Everett because it means that property values are increasing and there's a vibrant local economy."

The majority of the stadium's funding, 38%, is expected to come from bonds supported by leases and facility revenue, followed by 14% from the AquaSox and the United Soccer League, 9% from other capital from public-private partners and 8% from the city of Everett.

Despite additional contributions from the state and county, a funding gap of 21% remains.

To fill that, "we're seeking increased public funding at the regional, state and federal level," Franz said, "as well as some unique public-private partnerships that are taking form."

The Everett City Council is slated to consider approval of the project's full funding package this summer.

As of this month, the stadium's design included 5,000 seats, a premium club venue and the ability to shift between holding baseball and soccer games. The Everett Outdoor Event Center plans to host community events, and its exterior will feature a park with a walking loop that stretches a half-mile around the stadium.

The design is around 60% done, per the city.

Moving away from Funko

In this month's update, Everett officials emphasized that the council decided against rebuilding Funko Field in 2024. Still, they called the older sports complex "a valuable community asset," particularly for Everett Public Schools, Everett Community College and the Everett Merchants, a summer baseball league.

It would have cost around $80 million to renovate Funko Field.

Eernissee, the economic development director, listed several reasons why a revamp wasn't in the cards.

Because Funko Field is owned by the Everett School District, "it had to first and foremost be an educational facility," he said. "But also, we were land-constrained there, and we could have never entertained other sports like soccer."

Meanwhile, the Everett Outdoor Event Center - especially with its downtown location - is expected to produce significant economic output, Eernissee said.

While there's still much to be done between now and the end goal, local officials are optimistic.

"We needed to be more of a city than just police, fire and streets," said Scott Pattison, executive project manager. "The taxpayers in Everett and the people who live here deserve quality things to enjoy life.

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