Buildings and Operations Records

Series

Identifier: 7605-02

Staff Only

Scope and Contents Note

Records relating to the Seattle Center campus before, during, and immediately after the 1962 Century 21 World's Fair. Box 1 mainly contains records of Superintendent of Buildings Fred McCoy covering various infrastructure issues, such as lighting, security, and housing. Box 2 includes records of Nick Jorgenson, who was Director of Food and Merchandise Services at the post-Fair Seattle Center, as well as files regarding planning for the transition from fairgrounds to civic campus after Century 21 ended.

Dates

Creation: 1957-1970
Creation: Majority of material found within 1961-1965

Creator

Seattle Center (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
Seattle (Wash.). Building Dept. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

The Seattle Center Department was created in 1965 to administer, manage and control the facilities on the site of the 1962 World’s Fair. The facilities at the Seattle Center date back to 1927 with completion of the construction of the Civic Auditorium, Civic Arena, Veterans Hall, and the Civic Playfield. The property expanded to 74 acres in 1962 to accommodate the World’s Fair. The Center’s purpose is to be an active civic center providing facilities and programs supporting the arts, education, sports and entertainment. It is home for the Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, three resident theaters, and the Seattle Storm professional basketball team. In addition, there are five facilities on the grounds that are not owned by the City: the Space Needle, Memorial Stadium, the Pacific Science Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Experience Music Project.