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Bids for State Coliseum
For Century 21 Exposition
To Be Called in January
Washington's 1962 World's Fair,, the Century 21 Exposition, will move into dramatic visual stages of development in January when bids will be called on the state's
S5,800;0()0 Coliseum. The picture at the top of this page
shows an interior shot: of the huge structure which will
be one of the major exhibition buildings of the Exposition
A picture of the exterior of the model of the Coliseum
designed by Seattle architect Paul H. Thiry. was published in the July 1, 1959, issue of this bulletin.
Located at the west entrance to the 74-acre exposition
grounds the State's Coliseum will occupy a tract roughly
bounded by 1st Ave, N., Thomas Street/ Republic Street
and 2nd Ave. N. The structure will cover 4 acres under
a dramatic supported roof rising to a peak equivalent to
an 11-story budding. Six miles of steel cable will be required to support the colored, aluminum panels which will
comprise the roof. Glass walls will enclose 129,000 square
teet oi: unobstructed exhibition space.
Coliseum Draws international Attention
The design for the Coliseum has already attracted international attention for its innovations in architectural art
All operations relating to the official participation of
the State oi Washington in the exposition are under administrative control of the director of the Department of
Commerce and Economic Development, functioning with
the advice and approval of the State World Fair Commission. Activities currently underway include:
Preparations for letting the contract tor construct:ion of
the state's $3,800,000 Coliseum,
Negotiations with the City of Seattle relative to Seattle's
Flan to purchase the Coliseum following the conclusion of Century
21. The building has been designed for conversion to a permanent
enclosed sports arena seating up to 18,000 persons.
Negotiations with the City of Seattle relative to transfer
oi certain parcels of land which will permit the state to transfer
to the Federal Government the land required for construction of
the massive Federal building. The latter is a parr of the U S
Government's participation under a S9 million appropriation enacted
hy the last session of Congress.
------Remodeling of the Exposition Headquarters Building on
1st Avenue North near Thomas Street, purchased toy the state from
its former insurance company owners. The headquarters building
wUl be retained by the state for state office purposes after conclusion
of Century 21.
Meantime, a drive will get underway in January to raise
the necessary S3 million from private "sources required to
finance the Century 21 Corporation. The private corporation will lease the land, and buildings from the state and
the city and officially operate the exposition.
Stanford Research Institute has estimated that between
8 million and 12 million visitors will attend the exposition.
Losing only the lower figure, Century 21 expects to net SB
million on the exposition with an "additional S3 million
derived from concessions, rentals and other features of the
exposition.
The State Department of Commerce and Economic Development estimates that even with a minimom of 6 million
visitors the direct revenue to the state, from sales and gasoline taxes, will more than compensate the state per se for
its S7.5 million investment m Century 21.
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