Seattle council green lights new Seattle Storm training facility in Interbay
Oct 5, 2021, 2:57 PM | Updated: 2:58 pm
Sue Bird #10 of the Seattle Storm high fives Breanna Stewart #30 during the first half of the WNBA game against the Phoenix Mercury on July 9, 2021, in Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
A bill that passed Seattle City Council on Monday paves the way for the construction of a training facility for the Seattle Storm in the Ballard-Interbay-Northend Manufacturing/Industrial Center (BINMIC).
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The bill amends size limits and parking requirements for indoor sports and recreation uses in the industrial area. The legislation was promoted by Mayor Jenny Durkan, and city councilmembers Dan Strauss and Debora Juarez.
“By passing this legislation, a team like the Seattle Storm can build local facilities including in Interbay,” Durkan said in a news release. “Seattle is proud to be home to the four-time champions, the Seattle Storm, and legendary sports leaders like Sue Bird who inspire our community both on and off the court. We can ensure generations of young girls and our city will root for the Seattle Storm for years to come with the new Climate Pledge Arena and a new practice facility.”
This proposal would allow the Storm — or another business — to build a practice facility in Seattle, Strauss explained, but it does not change zoning or uses allowed within zones. Strauss is the chair of the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee.
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Currently, the Storm shares a practice facility at Seattle Pacific University.
The bill would amend Section 23.50.027 to allow indoor sports and recreation uses up to 50,000 square feet on General Industrial lots in the BINMIC, as long as they meet a number of characteristics that include: being at least 500 feet from shorelines; within 300 feet of a neighborhood commercial or Seattle Mixed zones; within a quarter-mile of a park with active recreation uses such as sports fields or sports courts; and not within a mile of another indoor sports or recreation use in the BINMIC that exceeds 25,000 square feet in size.
