Outfielder Axel Sanchez salutes the fans after crushing a three-run home run in early innings during the June 28, 2023 game at Funko Field in Everett Memorial Stadium.
Jim Scolman
EVERETT — The city has two options for the future stadium of the AquaSox, and just opened its comment period for public opinion through Feb. 20, and also will be holding a public meeting Feb. 13.
The city has winnowed down to two site options:
- Rebuild Funko Field, which is owned by the Everett School District, or
- Obtain the city block east of Angel of the Winds Arena. This would be 12.5 acres between Hewitt and Pacific avenues from Broadway east to the railroad tracks. The downtown block today has 28 privately owned parcels that include retail shops, light industrial, distribution, a restaurant and offices.
Earlier this month, city planners determined there would be impacts on the environment by pursuing either plan, such as noise and light glare.
The call for comments is geared toward discussing the environmental impacts of building the properties, not the overarching idea of any stadium.
The city is holding a scoping meeting online Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. through Zoom. The city’s short weblink to get into the meeting is www.bit.ly/Everett
FacilityScopingMeeting
People can also give comments by mail to
Yorik Stevens-Wajda, Planning Director
City of Everett Planning Dept.
2930 Wetmore Ave., Suite 8A
Everett, WA 98201
or by emailing him at ystevens@everettwa.gov
The city and county are currently exploring the feasibility of different options.
The future outdoor stadium would be a public-private partnership that complies with Minor League Baseball’s more stringent facility standards which the AquaSox must now meet. It would have 2,800-3,200 fixed seats for baseball fans, and be convertible into an amphitheater.
The stricter rulebook on the AquaSox sparked the talks. These started in 2022. If a stadium gets built, the Everett AquaSox minor league baseball team is committing to a 30-year or longer lease to anchor it.
There was a revamp for the whole minor league system in 2021 that focused on better professional working conditions, and this created the new stadium requirements.
The facility requirements include larger home and visiting team spaces, pitching tunnels, security monitoring systems and more, Baseball America magazine reported. Not having separate women’s staff locker rooms is “automatic non-compliance” when a 2025 deadline hits, the magazine reported.
The AquaSox are under deadlines to show Major League Baseball progress toward complying with the stadium expectations, and being fined money for not currently complying.
To learn more about this project, city project manager Scott Pattison can be reached by email at spattison@everettwa.gov or by calling 425-257-7111.
