For AquaSox fans and Everett sports visitors: City Council approved the design package April 29. The stadium is targeted for Fall or Winter 2027 — in time for the AquaSox 2027 season. What’s approved so far: 5,000 seats, ADA throughout, covered premium club, multi-use for baseball, USL soccer, concerts, and community events. What’s not yet decided: construction authorization and the $110M+ in financing needed to build it.
If you’ve been following the downtown Everett stadium story, the April 29 City Council vote is a real milestone — the design phase is now funded and moving forward. Here is what it means for the fan and visitor experience being planned, and what the realistic timeline looks like.
What Kind of Venue Is Being Designed
The Everett Outdoor Event Center is designed as a true multi-use sports and events venue — not a single-purpose ballpark. The design calls for 5,000 seats with ADA accessibility throughout the facility, including a premium club seating 200 fans with 400 additional standing capacity on a covered deck. Public park space is built into the site design.
The primary tenant anchor is the Everett AquaSox — the Seattle Mariners’ Single-A affiliate that has played in Everett since 1984, currently at Funko Field (Everett Memorial Stadium). The AquaSox would move into the new downtown venue when it opens.
Two Everett teams in the United Soccer League (USL) are also planned as tenants — part of the professional soccer league’s Pacific Northwest expansion. Everett would host both baseball and professional soccer in the same facility.
Downtown Location vs. Current Funko Field
The current Funko Field sits on Oakes Avenue in the Bayside neighborhood — accessible but not embedded in Everett’s downtown core. The new Everett Outdoor Event Center is planned for a downtown location, positioning it within walking distance of Everett Station, the waterfront district, and the Broadway corridor.
That downtown location is what gives the stadium broader event potential: concerts, festivals, and community programming that can draw on foot traffic from the waterfront and transit connections from Everett Station. The Waterfront Place restaurant district and the transit network changes underway make the downtown location stronger over the next few years.
What the 2027 Timeline Means in Practice
The city has been targeting Fall or Winter 2027 for the stadium opening — timed to be ready before the AquaSox 2027 season. That timeline requires design completion (now funded), followed by construction authorization, financing commitment, and construction itself.
The design is the prerequisite. Without a completed design package, you cannot break ground, you cannot get final construction bids, and you cannot secure project financing. Wednesday’s vote clears that gate. What comes next — the construction decision and how the remaining $110 million-plus gets financed — is the harder sequence.
The AquaSox Question
The AquaSox have played in Everett since 1984, making them one of the longest-running Minor League Baseball affiliates in the Pacific Northwest. The new stadium is explicitly designed to keep them in Everett — the city has publicly noted that without a new facility, the team’s continued presence is at risk. Funko Field, built decades ago, does not meet modern Minor League Baseball facility standards.
The April 29 vote moves the ball forward on keeping the AquaSox in downtown Everett through the 2027 season and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many seats will the new Everett stadium have?
The Everett Outdoor Event Center design calls for 5,000 seats with full ADA accessibility throughout, plus a premium club with 200 seated and 400 standing capacity on a covered deck.
When could the AquaSox move to the new stadium?
The city is targeting a Fall or Winter 2027 opening timed for the AquaSox 2027 season. This depends on construction authorization and financing being secured after the design package is complete.
Where will the new Everett stadium be located?
The Everett Outdoor Event Center is planned for a downtown location, distinguishing it from the current Funko Field on Oakes Avenue in Bayside. The downtown site puts it near Everett Station and the waterfront district.
What sports will be played at the new Everett stadium?
Minor League Baseball (Everett AquaSox, Seattle Mariners Single-A affiliate) and professional soccer (two United Soccer League teams). The venue is also designed for concerts, festivals, and community events.
Has construction been authorized?
No. The April 29 vote funds completing the design. Construction authorization and the $110 million-plus in construction financing are separate decisions that have not been made.
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