The Mariners may be making their biggest financial investment on infrastructure since the early days of T-Mobile Park.
It may also be key to SODO’s immediate future.
On Thursday, the M’s are opening “Victory Hall,” an almost 10,000 square foot gathering and event space directly across 1st Avenue South from the baseball stadium. For a neighborhood that took its fair share of hits in the past few years, it could be considered a major development.
“I think our investment in the community starts with our mission, which is to win championships, create unforgettable experiences and serve our community,” Mariners Senior Vice President and General Counsel Fred Rivera said as he walked through the space with KOMO News.
The development is really Phase 2 in a broad vision, which also involves the Mariners signing long-term leases on the property that they have dubbed “The Boxyard.”Last year, the M’s opened the HatBack restaurant and Steelheads Alley brewery in the old Pyramid site. The brick building is decades old and a massive space adjacent to the stadium. Later this year, the franchise will take over the Great Floors building on the corner of First and Edgar Martinez Drive to build a new softball and baseball training facility in what could be described as Phase 3.
Rivera said the M’s want to make the neighborhood a “365-day experience for our community.”
But it may also go a long way toward revitalization. SODO, more than many other Seattle neighborhoods, has been a home for homeless encampments and dilapidated RVs. With it, there has been associated criminal activity, too.
Seattle Chief of Police Adrian Diaz has made the suggestion that increased foot traffic in a community helps to reduce criminal activity. Rivera doesn’t back away from the idea.
“I think that having a vibrant community, with people enjoying what the community has to offer, creates just a better experience all the way around,” Rivera said. “That’s what Seattle and our mayor’s trying to do. That’s what we’re trying to do here and SODO as well. So, yes, I think it will improve the community experience.”
As far as criticism that the M’s aren’t spending, Rivera said, “We’re trying to make this a better place to come and visit to experience our game. We think our fans will be very, very happy with what we’re doing.”
The Mariners aren’t the only organization gobbling up land in SODO. Records show that an LLC connected to the Silver Cloud Hotel chain recently purchased two parcels north of the existing SODO hotel, including the Hawks Nest sports bar. It is unclear what their plans are for the property.