In 1962, taxpayers footed a lot of the bill for the World’s Fair in Seattle. More than 85% of the money they paid in was guaranteed to go to permanent structures including the entire Seattle Center. (I wish today’s city planners had the same restriction!) The centerpiece of this area was the Space Needle, a 600-foot structure that continues to be Seattle’s number one tourist attraction almost fifty years later. For the cost of $4.5 million, Seattle gained not only an attraction for the fair, but also an icon for the Northwest. Every time we have out of state visitors, … Continue reading →