Safeco Field Timeline -- How It Got To Where It Is Now

1995

March - A state House of Representatives committee kills a proposal to help finance a stadium with lottery proceeds, admissions taxes and other state revenue. Mariners threaten to move. Gary Locke, who was then the King County executive, and Seattle Mayor Norm Rice appoint a panel to look into building a new ballpark south of the Kingdome. Estimated cost: $250 million.

July - Locke asks the Metropolitan King County Council for a tax increase for a new stadium on the September primary-election ballot. Plans call for the stadium to be built in time for the Mariners to play their 1999 season in an open-air, natural-grass ballpark with a retractable roof. "It will ensure the survival of baseball in Seattle," Locke says. "It is time to let the voters play ball on this issue." Construction would be funded by a county sales tax of one-tenth of 1 percent. Estimated cost: $285 million. The ballot measure would raise $240.8 million. The Mariners pledge to contribute $45 million but make no promise to cover cost overruns.

Sept. 28 - Nine days after a vote too close to call, a count of absentee ballots shows the stadium-funding measure failing by 1,082 votes. There were 245,418 votes, or 49.89 percent, in favor of a stadium, and 246,500 votes, 50.11 percent, opposed.

Sept. 29 - With the Mariners vying for a West Division title, then-Gov. Mike Lowry calls for a special session of the Legislature to assemble an alternative stadium package.

Oct. 14 - The Legislature closes a raucous three-day session by approving a financing plan for a retractable-roof stadium, now pegged at $320 million. It would be paid for with state money and $208.6 million in new King County taxes - an additional 0.5 percent sales tax at restaurants and bars, an additional 2 percent on rental cars and a 10 percent admission tax on events at the new ballpark.

Oct. 23 - The Metropolitan King County Council votes 10-3 to proceed with Legislature's bond plan.

1996

July 16 - Stadium contractors say a retractable-roof stadium seating 48,000 people would cost $26 million more than the Public Facilities District (PFD), the public agency in charge of building the stadium, wants to spend. PFD board members downplay the estimate. "I am glad not to be looking at a gap of $90 million," says Chairwoman Joan Enticknap.

Sept. 23 - Mariner owners agree to pay for cost overruns that could take the ballpark over its $330 million overall budget.

Oct. 23 - King County Council Budget Committee votes unanimously to require personal guarantees from Mariner owners to pay for cost overruns before agreeing to sell bonds to finance the stadium.

Nov. 7 - Roof costs increase stadium cost to $363.5 million. State and county taxes expected to cover increase.

Nov. 25 - Convinced cost estimates will hold up, Mariner Vice President Paul Isaki says the club agrees to pay any costs of a new baseball stadium that exceed the current estimate of $363.5 million for the ballpark and $20.5 million for an adjacent parking garage.

December - Mariners Chief Executive John Ellis tearfully puts the team up for sale, citing poor financial projections and County Council members seeking a delay in stadium construction. U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., brokers a deal in which the team agrees to stay, the PFD agrees to Mariner terms on a ballpark lease and the city of Seattle picks up the bill for traffic control and other game-day costs.

Dec. 20 - A citizens review panel tells the County Council the stadium cost is now $405 million and could go up another $30 million.

1997

Jan. 6 - County Council votes to authorize sale of $336 million in bonds for the stadium, raising revenues from all sources to $414 million. The official budget runs at $384.5 million.

March 8 - Mariners break ground on site of stadium. Budget is set at $417 million, with $372 million to come from the public and at least $45 million from the Mariners.

June 13 - Work on stadium ceases pending a state Supreme Court ruling on a suit by Citizens for More Important Things challenging the constitutionality of the project and calling for an election on the taxes funding it. By a 7-2 decision, court upholds an earlier King County Superior Court ruling that the sale of public bonds for the ballpark is legal. Ultimately, legal questions and concerns over the design of the retractable roof delay the scheduled opening until July 15, 1999.

July 21 - PFD announces it will spend all of the budgeted $417 million because of the rising costs of a parking garage, soil disposal, steel and concrete inspections, and construction management.

1998

May 7 - Mariners and Safeco both deny having an agreement to sell naming rights to the new stadium to Safeco.

June 4 - Mariners announce a $40 million deal to name the new ballpark Safeco Field.

July 20 - PFD and Mariners put cost of stadium at $498 million, making it the most expensive baseball stadium in the country. Increased costs are for changes and improvements during construction, changes made before drawings were final, and the effort to open by the 1999 season opener. Ellis promises the Mariners will pay the cost overruns without dumping players, gouging on ticket prices or seeking a bailout from taxpayers.

December - Money from original bond issue runs out. Mariners start paying overruns.

1999

February - Ellis and Mariners board member Howard Lincoln, president of Nintendo, begin several months of informal meetings with PFD members to discuss the extra costs. Team executives want the county to issue new bonds to bring in additional public money for the project. PFD members decline the request.

April - Latest cost estimate: $517 million.

May 8 - King County Council members voice first concerns that Mariners may come looking for more public money for the stadium.

June 22 - Mariner owners file a claim against the PFD, alleging it is legally obligated to ask the county for additional bonds. They say the stronger-than-anticipated tax collections backing the bonds could bring in $60 million that could be used for the extra costs on Safeco Field.