Date Posted: 06.12.2026
On Saturday, June 6th, we celebrated the grand opening of Legacy Square Stage in the heart of downtown Renton. Performances and appearances from the Hazen Highlander Band, Seattle Sounders FC Ambassador Brad Evans, Seattle Sounders official band Sound Wave, Renton Civic Theatre, Sammy the Sounder and the Pacific Northwest Soccer Club activated the square with music, theater and soccer. Business leaders, elected officials and project partners gave brief remarks before the ribbon cutting. The celebration showcased the stage as a multifaceted community hub just before the 2026 World Cup kick-off.
The new performance shell at Legacy Square creates a civic porch for arts and culture performances, sporting events, movie nights and festivals. A key element of City of Renton’s Civic Core Vision and Action Plan, the project is part of strategic public space and programming investments that aim to activate downtown as a vibrant, accessible civic center. The stage’s position adjacent to flexible spaces for gathering, recreation and food trucks creates synergy for events and maximizes benefits for residents, independent entrepreneurs and the surrounding commercial district.
The stage structure is designed as a three-dimensional wedge to optimize viewing angles and acoustic reflection from the digital screen and performers. Panels of cross laminated timber (CLT) form the structural walls and roofs, mixed with glue-laminated columns and beams to reduce spans and create the stage proscenium. CLT creates a perfect interior surface for reflectivity and warmth to make a welcoming and high performing venue, and the use of mass timber reduces the structure’s embodied carbon loading by 20%.
The entire structure is wrapped in metal panels with subtly shifting widths and a proprietary weathering steel finish to unify the roof and wall panels with high levels of protection and security. A rolldown grille and a very large bifold door create the final enclosure. The architecture and structure are carefully designed to minimize materials and allow rapid site assembly. Materials are sourced locally with the CLT panels, glulams and exterior corten panels all from the Pacific Northwest region.
Explore Visit Renton to see the upcoming schedule of events, including 2026 World Cup watch parties.
The project team includes Mithun (architecture), KPFF Consulting Engineers (structural engineer), LSTN Consultants (audio and AV), P2S (MEP), HLB Lighting Design (lighting), Dissimilar Metal Design (corten supplier), Kalesnikoff (mass timber supplier) and Andersen Construction (general contractor). Photo by Jim Swenson (KPFF).
