mseattle,

I like your ideas. We need something that adds to our skyline, has major attractions, and is enticing and comfortable in all weather. here is my idea:

IMAGINE

THINK BIG

THE DREAM

Imagine a place in Seattle where you can enjoy a natural, native green space and NEVER get wet? You say that’s impossible? Think big. Imagine a network of swooping, soaring, wing-like banners and sails, gracefully draped high above the trees. They receive and redirect our falling rainwaters into a network of streams, rivers and gorges below. Tourists and locals are comfortable, dry and free to wander and dwell among the native plants and parks every day of the year and never get wet. The sails are connected to towering green poles hidden among the sturdy cedars and firs. They come down in the Summer with a great seasonal festival, but can be raised again upon the first drop of rain.

THE PLAN

First, Memorial stadium goes. A high school football field is totally inconsistent with a major tourist attraction. Second, the fun forest and center house both go. They are outdated and dull. Only an upgraded Key Arena stays for major sporting events, shows and concerts. The entire Seattle Center grounds are transformed into a Native Northwest forest, with tall evergreen trees, and natural rivers and streams. Wide paved trails meander through the grounds. Our weather, for the first time, is no deterrent to outdoor play and gathering. The white, soaring sails keep our visitors dry.

Hidden in our Northwest Native forest are approximately 5 large attraction buildings with regional themes. Each building represents a region of the world: “Northwest Native (Washington),” “Bavaria/Scandinavia (Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Norway),” “Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia),” “Central/South America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru),” and “Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Congo).”

Each building will house the greatest themed museum attractions in America! Each will be designed and constructed according to the architecture of its region. Each will be surrounded with plantings and landscaping native to its region. Each will have galleries, shops, exhibits and artwork featuring the geography, flora, fauna and culture of its region. Each will have a first-class, upscale restaurant featuring regional cuisine. Each will have a theatre for entertainment from its region. And finally, in and throughout each building will be a major theme ride the quality and excitement of the best that Disneyland could ever offer.

Other features in “Seattle’s Grand Center” will be a mural amphitheatre for year-round outdoor music and drama performances, and possibly an overhead “forest canopy” gondola to move people around the perimeter of the park and to the various corners of the grounds, from the Space Needle to the EMP to the Pacific Science Center to the Key Arena.

RIDE ATTRACTIONS:

Northwest Native: Soaring over Washington. Go experience California Adventure Park’s “Soaring over California.” It is an amazing experience. Riders board a large multi-seat theatre that becomes a community hang-glider. They are lifted up in the air and in front of a huge IMAX-type screen. Riders have the wind-blown sensation of flying in the hang-glider as it soars, plunges, tilts, and swoops, all in sync with film of California’s features, from Yosemite to the golden coast. “Soaring Over Washington” will be better, flying our visitors over our many magnificent natural wonders: Mt. Rainier, Washington Coast, Hoh Rainforest, Palouse, Grand Coulee Dam, Olympic Mountains, San Juan Islands, etc.

Bavaria/Scandinavia: Imagine a charming Swiss Gondola cable-ride carrying you up, over and through Bavaria and Scandinavia. The gondola starts on the bottom floor of the building, gently climbs high into the rafters of the Bavaria Building, up through the restaurant and into the Swiss Alps complete with charming chalets, then whisks down and around through medieval castles, the black forest, and Norwegian fjords.

Southeast Asia: Imagine a funky, herky-jerky coaster ride in a becak or tuk-tuk (typical Southeast Asian transportation modes). You meander around and exploring southeast Asian exhibits, slowly working your way up to the top of the building. Along the way you are whisked by the exotic Asian restaurant, through and around rice paddies, the Sleeping Buddha, Yogyakarta’s Borabodur, Phuket limestone features, Balinese dancers, the Wat Pra Keo, and the Mekong river. Finally at the top of the building, the becak tumbles down and through the crater of Krakatoa’s massive exploding volcano.

Central/South America: This is our major water ride (think Splash Mountain). You board a native Central American Canoe and float through the Amazon River rainforests. Along the way, you wave at native villagers eating by lantern light in our regional riverside cantina. You tour Mayan ruins, beautiful sandy beaches, Peruvian Llamas, forests with snakes, monkeys and jaguars, and the Machu Pichu. Before the ride ends, your canoe tumbles down two major waterfalls to the beautiful Costa Rican Tabacon hot springs.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Imagine a wild animal thrill-ride in a safari jeep through the African bush, up Mt. Kilimanjaro, and almost over Victoria falls, saved only by a fallen acacia tree that knocks you back onto the dirt road to resume your safari adventure.

WHAT ELSE?

A tourist attraction the magnitude of the Seattle Grand Center, will require a major 4 or 5 star hotel, perhaps called the “Grand Center Hotel,” maybe a Marriott. A possible location is at the current QFC grocery store on Republican St. Seattle will finally become a destination tourist city, not just a place where cruise ships start and end their cruises, not just a city that has a few interesting places for convention attendees to go. If necessary, partner with Disney, Universal Studios or MGM to create and operate the themed regional attractions and rides.

Entrance to the Seattle Grand Center should be by passport. A nominal fee gets you in to the park. For that fee, you can then eat at the many restaurants, walk the grounds and pay to go up the needle. A significant passport fee gets you in all the attractions and provides entrance for all rides.

Let’s do it! Let’s give Seattle a park with attractions to bring people here and keep them coming back.