Pacific Science Center, an educational nonprofit centered on innovation and discovery, confirmed it’s selling a wedge of its campus to help keep operations afloat and to start funding the development of a new star attraction.
Almost a year ago, GeekWire first reported that the iconic institution faced an uncertain future and was considering a property sale. PacSci leaders said this week that Space Needle LLC will purchase the northeast corner of the site, which encompasses less than 25% of the facility and includes one of its two IMAX theaters. The Seattle Times broke the news of the sale on Tuesday.
PacSci and the Space Needle are not sharing price details until the transaction closes. The sale also includes a pavilion and exhibit gallery.
The science center occupies facilities built for the 1962 World’s Fair and has struggled to address long-deferred infrastructure renovations estimated to cost more than $70 million. The sale will provide capital for upgrades that include expanding its popular Maker & Innovation Lab (MIL) into the site’s main feature.
“It will be enough to provide a financial runway for operations and support some very targeted capital investments, but not nearly enough to do everything,” said Will Daugherty, CEO of PacSci, via email. “We will still need to raise money for MIL and we will need a capital campaign in the future.”
The plans are to expand the existing makerspace, which currently occupies less than half of one floor of a building, plus add new lab features that will create a 14,000-square-foot exhibit that spans three floors.
The Maker & Innovation Lab currently has desktop and large format 3D printers, a Glowforge laser cutter, vinyl cutters and different types of sewing machines. The improved venue would add wood working equipment, a more advanced laser cutter, stations for soldering and electronics, digital design tools, and coding and robotics technologies.
PacSci leaders and supporters frame the lab as an on-ramp to developing skills that open doors to STEM fields and fulfill a human need to create and improve the world.
The initiative is expected to cost an estimated $20 million. The state of Washington has provided a $1.4 million capital grant; King County has chipped in $1 million; the Allen Family Foundation has provided $1 million for the lab and courtyard renovations, and individual donors have made commitments of more than $100,000.
PacSci has already started making other improvements, including the opening of new exhibits and ongoing work to remove the gates and fence that have barricaded the campus from the rest of the Seattle Center. The work should be completed in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Seattle Center is the official gathering place for fans to watch live streams of games being played locally.
Ron Sevart, CEO of the Space Needle, did not share details on what will happen to the space being acquired.
“While continued operation of the Boeing IMAX theater is our short-term focus, we can’t wait to explore other partnership opportunities that support the future of Pacific Science Center and the Seattle Center,” he said in a statement.
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