December 12, 2022

Renovations planned for Federal Way sports facility

Renderings by McGranahan Architects [enlarge]

The renovated facility will have capacity for 4,000 spectators in grandstands split equally between home and away.

Next year, work will begin on a project to renovate and expand Federal Way's Memorial Stadium, the main sports facility for all schools in the Federal Way Public Schools district.

Memorial Field was built in 1971 and is located at 1300 S. 308th St., adjacent to Federal Way High School.

The district says the 50-year-old facilities and original structures at the stadium are in great need of an upgrade and that the renovation and expansion will bring new life and an improved spectator experience to the facility.

The renovations are designed by McGranahan Architects and will be built by BNBuilders. The existing track and field surface and lighting infrastructure will be renovated and grandstands will be replaced. The seating capacity on the home side will be increased from 1,320 to 2,000 and the visitor side from 1,920 to 2,000, for a total additional capacity of 760 spectators.

[enlarge]

Federal Way Public Schools says a renovation is long overdue.

This expansion will mean the stadium can host regional and state events, something it is currently unable to do, in addition to graduations for the district. The project also includes the replacement of ticketing, restroom and concessions buildings (a total of approximately 5,400 square feet) and the reconstruction of a parking lot at South 308th Street.

In a social media post, McGranahan said the entire complex will be rearranged “to provide clear and distinct zones for home and away teams and spectators, adding a new sense of safety to the stadium.” The architect added that the goal is to create a “gem” of a facility that will serve all Federal Way Public Schools “with a unified community identity.”

Demolition is scheduled to begin in January. Preparation for construction began last month and the stadium is currently closed awaiting the start of work. The renovated facility is expected to reopen in fall 2023.

The project is estimated to cost around $21 million and is funded by a bond measure passed by voters in 2017.