Longacres was a Thoroughbred horse racetrack in Renton, Washington, United States. Owned by the Gottstein/Alhadeff family and operated by the Washington Jockey Club for the vast majority of its existence, the racetrack was the home of Thoroughbred racing in Western Washington from its opening in 1933 and was the longest continuously running track on the West Coast upon its closure. Until 1971, it was also the only place in Western Washington where gambling was legal. Notable races held at the racetrack include the Longacres Mile Handicap and the Gottstein Futurity.

Longacres
Aerial view of Longacres in January 1991
LocationRenton, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°27′39″N 122°14′13″W / 47.46083°N 122.23694°W / 47.46083; -122.23694
Owned byBroadacres
(Gottstein/Alhadeff family)
Operated byWashington Jockey Club
Date openedAugust 3, 1933
Date closedSeptember 21, 1992
Course typeFlat
Notable races
The main grandstand as seen in 1936–1937

After several years of losses due to increasing gambling and entertainment competition, the property was sold to Boeing in 1990. Boeing allowed the track to operate for two more years after the sale until the end of the 1992 season; the company demolished its structures in 1995. Boeing eventually built a new headquarters for its Commercial Airplanes division on the property along with a customer-training center; however, the company vacated the property and sold it in 2021 to Unico Properties. Seattle Sounders FC partnered with Unico to renovate the site for use as its headquarters and training facility, which opened in February 2024.

History edit

Background edit

Before Longacres, two other racetracks had previously existed within the general vicinity of Seattle. The first, Seattle Race Course, was built in 1869 by Seattle saloon and brothel owner John Pinnell on land rented from pioneer Diana Collins; later known as the Seattle Driving Park after a hiatus from 1878 to 1883, it closed in 1892 to make way for development on the land.[1]

The second racetrack, Meadows, was built south of the city in then-independent Georgetown by the King County Fair Association under the leadership of Republican politician A. T. Van de Vanter.[1] It opened on August 9, 1902, with four events spectated by more than 3,000 visitors; the first event saw Pathmark defeat Daniel J. in a best-of-five series of one-mile heats to win a $1,000 purse.[2] The racetrack held its first program on August 18; Royalty won the first running of its marquee event, the Seattle Derby, on August 23, winning a $1,000 purse before 5,000 spectators.[3][4] Despite the racetrack's success leading it to host the region's first automobile race in 1905,[1] it met its demise after the 1908 horse-racing season when the Washington State Legislature abolished gambling on horse races in February 1909 with the support of then-Governor Albert E. Mead,[5] with the ban taking effect on June 12.[6][7] The site of the racetrack was eventually redeveloped in 1928 as Boeing Field, Seattle's first municipal airport.[1]

Founding and early years edit

The person most responsible for reintroducing horse racing in the state of Washington was Joseph Gottstein (1891–1971), a Seattle real estate magnate whose father, a liquor wholesaler who immigrated from Poland in 1879, had a racing stable and was a stakeholder in Meadows; Gottstein's passion for horse racing started when he was gifted his first Thoroughbred horse at the age of eight. After attending college at Brown University, he returned to Seattle and started investing in the city's downtown real estate market; it was during this time that he met and partnered with fellow magnate William Edris, who shared his passion for horse racing.[8] Together, they lobbied the state legislature to legalize parimutuel betting starting in 1922.[9] After years of lobbying, they got their wish in 1933 when House Bill 59, introduced by Democratic state representative Joseph B. Roberts, was signed into law by then-Governor Clarence Martin on March 3 after passing the state House and Senate respectively on February 20 and 23; the Washington Horse Racing Commission, a three-member commission appointed by the governor, was formed in the process.[9][10]

Gottstein subsequently formed the Washington Jockey Club with architect B. Marcus Priteca and four other partners for the purposes of owning and operating a racetrack, with the club being issued a permit by the state commission for a one-mile track on June 20, 1933.[11] The club intended to construct the racetrack on the site of the Mountain View Golf Club, a golf course situated along an old section of the Pacific Highway between Renton Junction and Orillia.[11] However, future U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, then a state Senator, subsequently discovered a 107-acre (43 ha) dairy farm at Renton Junction that was owned by the family of James R. Nelsen (1915–2013)[12] and convinced the club to negotiate with them; both sides agreed to a 10-year lease three days later.[13][14] As a sign of gratitude, Gottstein gave a small part of the property to Magnuson, who became an additional investor in the racetrack.[13][15] With the racetrack's site confirmed, construction commenced immediately.[14] The racetrack, designed by Priteca, was completed in only 28 days by a crew of 3,000 working nonstop; workers were willing to work long hours in the midst of the Great Depression.[9] It opened on August 3 with around 11,000 in attendance and eight races planned that day; Vetsera won the first race, a five-and-a-half furlong affair with a $400 purse, with jockey Herbert "Little Nell" Simmons. The first race meet lasted 40 days, ending on September 17.[16]

Seeking an event that would bring grandeur to the racetrack, the Washington Jockey Club announced a mile race with an initial purse of $10,000 on April 14, 1935.[17] The race, later known as the Longacres Mile Handicap, first took place on August 24; longshot Coldwater finished ahead of favored contender Biff by a nose to pull off the upset and win the title in front of 12,000 spectators.[18] The club then introduced the Washington Futurity (later renamed in 1971 as the Gottstein Futurity)[19] in 1940 with an initial purse of $1,200 to encourage the breeding of Thoroughbreds within the state;[20] Campus Fusser won the first running on August 18.[21]

Edris became increasingly skeptical of the racetrack's financial success as the Great Depression lingered on; Gottstein had lost millions of dollars attempting to maintain the unprofitable racetrack.[9][13] Eventually, on January 22, 1938, Gottstein announced that Edris would withdraw from the Washington Jockey Club and sell his stake in it to a group of Seattle businessmen led by William E. Boeing[22] Gottstein eventually established Broadacres in 1948 to serve as owner of the family's properties, including the racetrack.[23][24]

During World War II, the Washington Jockey Club was under pressure from the state commission to cancel all upcoming racing seasons at Longacres for the duration of the war. After Gottstein refused then-Governor Arthur B. Langlie's request to cancel the 1942 season, the state commission denied the club a license for one the following year; it was the only time in the racetrack's history where it did not hold a season.[9] In the meantime, the U.S. Army erected an artillery barracks on the racetrack's infield, the former of which was converted to a cottage afterwards;[25][26] it also placed anti-aircraft guns at the site to protect the nearby Boeing factory.[9] The racetrack did not reopen until June 24, 1944, when it hosted a meet that lasted 51 days.[9]

Decline edit

Joseph Gottstein retired from managing Longacres in 1963, handing over duties to son-in-law Morris Alhadeff, who had been part of the staff at the racetrack since 1947; Alhadeff became the track's president upon Gottstein's death at the age of 79 from lung cancer on January 1, 1971.[9][8] Around the same time, gambling opportunists began to challenge the monopoly horse racing held on legal gambling in the state, with proponents of Greyhound racing among them; all attempts at its legalization between 1969 and 1975 were opposed with the help of horse-racing interests.[27][28] However, with illegal gambling rampant throughout King County, the state legislature permitted bingo and raffles in 1971.[29] The legislature then passed the Gambling Act (also known as House Bill 711) in 1973, which established the Washington State Gambling Commission to supervise legalized gambling activities within the state.[30] Nevertheless, Longacres did not face serious pressure in the gambling space until the state legislature created a state lottery in 1982, after which point the racetrack began losing business to the lottery.[31] Meanwhile, the racetrack faced competition in the entertainment space with the arrival of professional sports teams in Seattle, having to compete for media coverage with the likes of the NBA's SuperSonics, the NFL's Seahawks, and MLB's Mariners.[32][a] Longacres was successful such that it underwent expansions in 1972, 1974, 1978, 1982, and 1984; however, with the competition building up, attendance at the racetrack began to decline in 1984.[9][34]

Attempts to stem the decline in the face of rising operating costs were made to no avail;[35] in 1986, it instituted night racing on April 2 with the installation of lights,[9] and it also experimented with a 146-day meeting, though the latter resulted in the first cancellation in the racetrack's history on October 26 due to safety concerns when a severe rainstorm created sloppy racing conditions during that day's set of races.[36][37] After three years of continuous decline, the management at Longacres decided to enact a turnaround plan out of desperation in May 1987, intent on making the experience at the racetrack more family-friendly and approachable to casual spectators; this included training on betting and promotions that made the races secondary attractions. The racetrack even embraced its entertainment rivals, converting a restaurant into a room full of televisions intended for watching the local professional sports teams as well as the horse races.[34] It also established satellite wagering in Bellingham on June 8, 1988, allowing betters to participate without being physically present.[9]

The venture was moderately successful in its first year, with Longacres seeing a two-percent rise in attendance by the end of 1987.[34] However, the gambling space became even more crowded with the passage of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, with the horse racing industry (and Longacres by extension) contending with the possibility of competing with gambling on Native American reservations in addition to the state lotteries.[31][38] When Morris Alhadeff was named the track's chairman on November 30, sons Michael and Kenneth respectively assumed the track's president and executive vice president positions; they soon came to the conclusion that competing in an oversaturated gambling and entertainment market was unsustainable, especially with the track needing significant improvement projects to continue operating by 1995.[39][40] The horse racing industry in general had suffered from the presence of the gambling competition; holding a 63-percent share in the state's legal gambling space in 1972, its share had collapsed to 8 percent by 1997 despite the state's gaming industry growing from $127 million to around $2 billion in the same time.[41]

Furthermore, the area surrounding the racetrack had radically changed since its opening. When the racetrack first opened, it was in a rural area far from Seattle, but rapid development throughout its existence had resulted in the racetrack sitting on prime real estate with its proximity to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport and Interstates 5 and 405.[38] Attempting to take advantage of a 1970 law giving tax breaks to farm and forest land owners based on their actual use, the racetrack's owners applied for open-space classification in October 1972 and in May 1973; they were denied both times.[42][43] Eventually, in May 1979, the county's then-assessor, Harley Hoppe, designated 50 acres (20 ha) of stable land as farmland against the recommendation of his staff; this resulted in the reduction of the land's assessed value from $1.4 million to $299,000 and saved the racetrack's owners about $26,000 in taxes by May 1983.[44] However, Hoppe's successor, Ruthe Ridder, repealed the classification in January 1984 under an order from the Washington State Department of Revenue, requiring the owners to pay $31,000 in back taxes.[45] With its land becoming more valuable than its revenue, the Alhadeff family ultimately decided to sell the property.[9][40]

Closure and redevelopment edit

External videos
  Final Race at Longacres on YouTube
 
Former headquarters of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 2021

On September 27, 1990, Kenneth Alhadeff announced that Broadacres had sold the Longacres site to Boeing; the company reportedly paid $80 million in the sale.[46][47] An investor group led by Mark Dedomenico Sr.—a Thoroughbred owner, heart surgeon, and former overseer of the Golden Grain Macaroni Company—offered to buy Longacres from the Alhadeffs; the group never received a response.[48][49] The racetrack was set to close on December 31, following the conclusion of a contract showing televised races from Playfair Race Course in Spokane and Yakima Meadows in Yakima, as the Alhadeffs had declined an offer from Boeing to operate it for up to three years as part of a transitional period.[47][50] However, Boeing eventually reached an agreement with the non-profit Emerald Racing Association to operate the racetrack for two more years; the latter paid annual fees significantly below fair market value during that time.[38]

Despite a last-ditch effort by the racetrack's supporters to keep it open for the 1993 season, the racetrack closed on September 21, 1992; Native Rustler won the final race under jockey Gary Stevens before a record 23,258 spectators, many of whom were involved at some point with the racetrack's operation throughout its history.[51][52] Until that point, Longacres had been the longest continuously running track on the West Coast.[53] The final Longacres Mile Handicap at the track, the 57th one overall, occurred on August 23, 1992; Bolulight prevailed over Ibero by a half-length to win the $293,800 purse in front of 17,182 spectators.[54] The race was subsequently held at Yakima Meadows from 1993 to 1995 before moving to Emerald Downs in Auburn when that racetrack opened in 1996 as the new home of horse racing in Western Washington.[55]

Meanwhile, on May 10, 1991, Boeing announced their intent to build an office park at the Longacres site, planning to develop the 212-acre (86 ha) site over a 12-year period.[56] However, the company shelved much of the plans for the park in November aside from a $70 million, 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m2) customer-training center located on a corner of the property; the center opened in 1993.[46] While Boeing mulled over alternate options for the Longacres site, the company obtained permits from the city of Renton to demolish the racetrack structures in December 1994; demolition began immediately, with the process completed by the following year.[9] The company eventually decided to move its Commercial Airplanes division onto the property with the construction of a $60 million, 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m2) facility that opened in October 1998, vacating three buildings in Renton that had collectively served as the division's headquarters.[57] Boeing subsequently leased 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2) of the training center, later known as the North Building, to Alaska Airlines for flight training.[58][59]

Undertaking heavy cost-cutting measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting impact on aviation, Boeing mulled a potential sale of the property in October 2020, with the Commercial Airplanes division potentially moving to offices on the Plant 2 site or at the Everett plant.[60] Boeing eventually ordered a clear-out of the campus in February 2021, officially listing it for sale on April 6 with no succeeding headquarters location identified; the company cited the viability of remote work in its decision.[61][62] The company eventually sold it for $100 million to Seattle-based Unico Properties, who announced the transaction in a news release on December 17; Unico stated their intent for transit-oriented development on the site.[63][64]

On February 16, 2022, Seattle Sounders FC announced that it had partnered with Unico to renovate the headquarters building (also known as the South Building) as its new headquarters and training facility; prior to the announcement, the former was located in Seattle's Pioneer Square before the COVID-19 pandemic, while the latter was at Starfire Sports in nearby Tukwila.[59][65] Among the changes brought about by the renovation was the installation of four full-sized soccer fields and separate locker and weight rooms for the team's academy and Tacoma Defiance reserve team; the latter were designed without adornments like the ones for the first team to incentivize such developmental players to work towards a promotion to the first-team roster. The renovated complex, renamed Sounders FC Center at Longacres, was officially unveiled on February 13, 2024, less than two weeks before the start of the 2024 season.[66] In the meantime, Unico had reached a deal with Alaska Airlines in March 2023 to expand the latter's presence in the North Building to 107,000 square feet (9,900 m2) while extending the lease by 20 years.[59]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Alhadeff was the original majority owner of the Seahawks, but he backed out due to a possible conflict of interest with Longacres; he was replaced by eight members of the Nordstrom family.[33]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Wilma, David (February 19, 2001). "Meadows Race Track". HistoryLink. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "Matinee Makes Pronounced Hit". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. August 10, 1902. p. 23. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  3. ^ "Ready and Waiting for the Word". The Seattle Times. August 17, 1902. p. 15. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  4. ^ "Royalty Wins Seattle Derby". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. August 24, 1902. p. 22. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  5. ^ Lamborn, Frank M. (1915). "Part VII: Biographical Sketches". Washington State Historical Society Publications. Vol. 2. Washington State Historical Society. p. 479. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2021 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Senate Straightens Tangle". The Seattle Times. February 4, 1909. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ "Will Not Stand for Pool Selling". The Seattle Times. April 2, 1909. p. 16. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  8. ^ a b Schwarzmann, Bob (January 2, 1971). "Longacres founder, owner dead at 79". The Seattle Times. p. B4. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Becker, Paula (June 18, 2005). "Longacres Racetrack". HistoryLink. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  10. ^ "Black Ink Wins by Nose; Governor Signs Race Bill". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. March 4, 1933. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  11. ^ a b Varnell, George M. (June 20, 1933). "Mile Track to Be Built on Mountain View Course". The Seattle Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ Lacitis, Erik (March 9, 2013). "Quintessential Scandinavian guy of old Seattle, James Nelsen, dies at 97". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Watson, Emmett (March 28, 1993). "Film Helps Preserve The Rich History Of Longacres". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Varnell, George M. (June 23, 1933). "Site of Race Track Changed; Ponies Will Run Course Nearer to City Center". The Seattle Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  15. ^ Scates, Shelby (1997). Warren G. Magnuson and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century America. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 83–84. ISBN 9780295802213. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Becker, Paula (July 26, 2005). "Longacres racetrack opens in Renton on August 3, 1933". HistoryLink. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  17. ^ "Horse Racing at Longacres to Start June 14; $10,000 Mile Will Feature Season". The Seattle Times. April 14, 1935. p. 22. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  18. ^ "Coldwater Wins Mile; Pays $41.20; Biff Second". The Seattle Times. August 25, 1935. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  19. ^ Schwarzmann, Bob (April 25, 1971). "Record $285,000 set for Longacres stakes". The Seattle Times. p. H4. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  20. ^ Fraser, Jack (July 19, 1940). "Youngsters to Race August 18 at Longacres". The Seattle Times. p. 20. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  21. ^ Fraser, Jack (August 19, 1940). "Local Breeders Organize; Will Aid Racing Here". The Seattle Times. p. 17. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  22. ^ Varnell, George M. (January 23, 1938). "Totalizator for Longacres Track; W. E. Boeing Group Buys Edris Stock". The Seattle Times. p. 14. Retrieved June 13, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  23. ^ "Gottstein Forms New Realty Firm". The Seattle Times. July 13, 1948. p. 7. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  24. ^ "State Solons Scrutinize Horse-Racing". The Seattle Times. August 8, 1956. p. 16. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  25. ^ Larsen, Dick (July 31, 1983). "At the top". The Seattle Times. p. B10. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  26. ^ Rockne, Dick (June 16, 1996). "The history of horse racing in Sound area". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  27. ^ Green, Ranny (July 26, 1981). "'Hounds and Politics Long a Feisty Issue". Pacific. The Seattle Times. p. 22. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  28. ^ Wilson, John (October 22, 1972). "Campaign '72: 'Don't let Spot die' — Dog racing — To races, they're off". The Seattle Times. p. E10. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  29. ^ Mapes, Lynda V. (October 6, 2002). "History of gambling in Washington". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  30. ^ Hannula, Don (January 19, 1986). "Growth of gambling — Taking a chance with fiscal future of the state?". The Seattle Times. p. A19. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  31. ^ a b Broom, Jack (July 5, 1992). "Upping the ante". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  32. ^ "Longacres Race Track Is Long on Effort". Los Angeles Times. Renton, Washington. Associated Press. August 19, 1990. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Lyons, Gil (September 29, 1988). "Coming to a theater near you – the Boz?". The Seattle Times. p. C4. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  34. ^ a b c Newnham, Blaine (March 31, 1988). "Alhadeff's poplars couldn't withstand the winds of change". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  35. ^ Smith, Sarah (October 1, 1987). "'Acres becoming an also-ran?". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  36. ^ Fair, Don (October 27, 1986). "Seattle's soggy Sunday". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. A1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  37. ^ Schwarzmann, Bob (October 27, 1986). "Longacres jocks refuse to race after spill in second". The Seattle Times. p. C3. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  38. ^ a b c Nelson, Glenn (September 20, 1992). "Looking beyond Longacres—Fate of horse racing in state in jeopardy with closure of track". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  39. ^ "Alhadeff hands more Acres management reins to sons". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. November 30, 1988. p. D4. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  40. ^ a b Lane, Polly; Smith, Sarah (September 27, 1990). "Boeing buys Longacres—Site may be company headquarters; some racing possible elsewhere". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  41. ^ Newnham, Blaine (April 19, 1998). "Racing is here to stay, thanks to Ron Crockett". The Seattle Times. p. D3. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  42. ^ "Property-tax cut rejected in Renton". The Seattle Times. October 17, 1972. p. C4. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  43. ^ Andrews, Paul (May 27, 1973). "Controversy over Longacres resurfaces". The Seattle Times. p. C8. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  44. ^ Nalder, Eric (May 29, 1983). "Hoppe granted Longacres lower assessed valuation". The Seattle Times. pp. A1, A6. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  45. ^ "Hearing set Feb. 15 on reassessing of Longacres". The Seattle Times. January 18, 1984. p. G1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  46. ^ a b Stevens, John H. (April 13, 1992). "Boeing set to develop part of Longacres". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  47. ^ a b Weaver, Dan (September 28, 1990). "Sale of Longacres stuns race industry". The Spokesman-Review. p. C1. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
  48. ^ Smith, Sarah (September 28, 1990). "Sold... and there they go!". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  49. ^ Hanson, Scott (January 22, 2011). "Medical research hitches a first-class ride". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  50. ^ Smith, Sarah (September 28, 1990). "Longacres 'family' say track owners betrayed them". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  51. ^ Blocker, Kevin (June 16, 1992). "Racing proponents rally in effort to keep Longacres open in '93". The Seattle Times. p. E3. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  52. ^ Becker, Paula (September 8, 2005). "Longacres Park racetrack closes on September 21, 1992". HistoryLink. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  53. ^ Farrey, Tom (April 2, 1992). "'Acres opener: fun, sun, sentiment". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  54. ^ Gillman, Joel (August 24, 1992). "Bolulight shines with stretch run". The Seattle Times. p. C1. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  55. ^ Dougherty, Gary (August 21, 1999). "Tracking The Longacres Mile". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  56. ^ "Boeing may permit Longacres '92 season". Kitsap Sun. Renton, Washington. Associated Press. May 10, 1991. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  57. ^ Acohido, Byron (December 20, 1996). "Boeing moving commercial-jet headquarters to Longacres". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  58. ^ Goodwillie, Kristin (March 16, 2023). "Alaska Airlines is expanding its training facility in Renton". KING 5 News. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  59. ^ a b c Stiles, Marc (March 7, 2023). "In long-term deal, Alaska Airlines nearly triples Longacres footprint". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  60. ^ Johnsson, Julie; Buhayar, Noah (October 16, 2020). "Boeing Explores Selling Seattle-Area Jetliner Headquarters". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  61. ^ McIntosh, Andrew (February 17, 2021). "Boeing staff told to empty Renton Longacres headquarters by April, fueling deal rumors". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  62. ^ Gates, Dominic (April 6, 2021). "Boeing puts up for sale its Commercial Airplanes headquarters campus outside Seattle". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  63. ^ Gates, Dominic (December 17, 2021). "Boeing sells its Commercial Airplanes headquarters for $100M, completing its local real estate divestments". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  64. ^ Stiles, Marc (December 20, 2021). "Affidavit lists price Unico Properties paid for Boeing's Longacres campus". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  65. ^ Evans, Jayda (February 16, 2022). "Sounders FC unveils plans for new training facility and team headquarters at Longacres in Renton". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  66. ^ Evans, Jayda (February 13, 2024). "Sounders unveil new state-of-the-art training facility. Here's a first look". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 14, 2024.