Spanning an entire city block in the core of one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, Pacific Place is more than a place to shop — it is transforming itself from the inside out and redefining the way future retail will look, act and thrive.
Pacific Place enjoys a rich 20-year history in Seattle and has stood tall as the city evolved from an industrial town to a vibrant international mecca of technology, tourism and entertainment. Building off its energetic surroundings, Pacific Place has broken ground on a strategic redevelopment happening here and now.
“The redevelopment of Pacific Place builds upon the momentum and investment reshaping Seattle’s Pike and Pine streets,” said Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association. “It’s exciting to see Madison Marquette [a private real estate investor and developer of Pacific Place] enhancing such a significant piece of our retail landscape. We are seeing a historic level of both public and private investment in this corridor bringing a new mix of retail, restaurants and experiences [to] the heart of Seattle.”
In partnership with international architectural firm Gensler, the new Pacific Place is set to create greater connectivity and traffic flow through the project. While the redevelopment is in progress, the Pacific Place experience will continue to light up social media and to pique the interest of tourists and residents alike. With newly opened food-and-beverage options; pop-up activations celebrating popular local names; and a creative gallery of Pacific Northwest artists, every floor of this five-story, vertical retail destination is filled with must-see moments.
By responding to today’s unique challenges and abundant opportunities in the retail landscape, Pacific Place is not just redeveloping but also undergoing a holistic transformation — to become where Seattle gathers and where emerging brands and national names will open their doors.
Creating welcoming environments and unimpeded connections with its neighbors, the new Pacific Place is evolving into a "living room of downtown Seattle," of sorts — beginning at Seventh Avenue and Olive Way, where a dramatic new entrance will connect the center to the city's tech neighborhood. Visitors who pass by today will observe the progress toward a summer grand opening.
At Seattle’s most heavily trafficked intersection, visitors will encounter the soon-to-be-iconic entrance at Sixth Avenue and Pine. To create more visibility into Pacific Place, four stories of glass will flood the entryway with natural light and the incomparable energy of a downtown neighborhood.
Once shoppers make their way from the entries into the center, they will be welcomed with a newly created opening in the atrium floor, a visual connection between the concourse and the rest of the center. And when visitors arrive from the parking garage they will enter a light-filled concourse level that includes lush greenery, lounge areas and clear access to what awaits above. Taken together, these create a seamless pathway through the block. Connecting the atrium to the surrounding streets turns pedestrians into shoppers and creates an inviting experience in which visitors can shop, eat, and mingle.
The redevelopment is not solely an exterior upgrade but will also elevate every design element of the interior. Plans include a central street connecting the illuminated, light-filled interior to downtown’s streets. As guests make their way through, experiential design and sculpture create a Seattle aesthetic that invites visitors to linger.
The remodeling of the center’s common areas allow for additional shop space with gallery-style storefronts and more restaurants to better satisfy the strong global retail and restaurant demand for downtown Seattle. The new Pacific Place will focus on appealing to best-in-class local and international retailers looking for a well-curated destination, as well as culinary entrepreneurs ready to headline a dining destination at the nexus of all things Seattle.
“With the ever-growing high-tech neighborhood of South Lake Union to the north, the doubling in size of the Washington State Convention Center to the east and the recently renovated adjacent Nordstrom flagship store connected via sky-bridge, it’s clear that Pacific Place will continue to be the central location for shopping in Seattle,” said Daniel Meyers, Madison Marquette's senior vice president of project management.
Not only does Nordstrom’s flagship location next door represent a desirable draw for new tenants, but Pacific Place is mere blocks from Amazon.com's global campus, the Washington State Convention Center, Pike Place Market and the Seattle Light Rail’s 3.6 million daily commuters. These helped garner last year's $7 billion in tourism.
And even as Pacific Place undergoes redevelopment, its current lineup is not to be missed, and this includes one of Seattle’s top-grossing cinemas: AMC Pacific Place 11, which entertains about 500,000 visitors yearly.
The Pacific Place restaurants include Din Tai Fung, which has staked out its place in the Seattle food world, and HaiDiLao Hot Pot, which is to open later this year. The always-on-trend retail offerings include Barneys New York, Coach, Kate Spade Lululemon and Tiffany. With such a strong foundation for starters, the new Pacific Place will boast about 50 of Seattle’s best stores and restaurants.
The retail landscape is rapidly changing, and in the 20 years since Pacific Place opened Seattle and the industry have undergone an evolution in every aspect. The redevelopment, and transformation of Pacific Place is reinvigorating the future shopping experience and creating a new gathering place for Seattle’s visitors and residents alike.