City of Seattle Waterfront – Pier 48

In one of the largest public works projects in the city since the Denny Hill Retrograde, Seattle is remaking its waterfront.

With the Department of Transportaion (DOT) as the lead agency, the City of Seattle brought in Fife Consulting to lead a Cultural Programs Planning process, particularly focused on a potential site for festivals and concerts on Pier 48 at the south end of Seattle’s historic waterfront.

We spent six months working with a joint taskforce to research similar projects nationwide, assess the local inventory of existing venues and producers, and engage the local arts, music and performance communities.  The project culminated in a recommendations and research report offering options and guidance for design and technical specifications at the site, as well as program and management concepts for cultural programming throughout the waterfront.  The document can be viewed here.

Agencies and organizations involved in the taskforce include Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture, Office of Film and Music, Department of Planning and Development, Department of Transportation, the Arts Commission, the Music Commission and the Friends of the Waterfront.