Kickoff for Legacy Square in time for World Cup

Published 3:30 pm Monday, June 8, 2026

The Legacy Square in downtown Renton is now open and ready to host FIFA World Cup watch parties and other events this summer.

The once-gravel lot in downtown Renton at the corner of Logan Avenue South and South Third Street is now a vibrant public space equipped with a stage with a large screen, a futsal court and a children’s playground. The city of Renton hosted the ribbon-cutting for the project, and the neighboring Piazza Park and Renton Market, on June 6.

Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone said the site was first acquired by the city in June 2011.

“That action signaled an early belief that downtown could be more. A belief that our public spaces could be reimagined and better serve our residents and create a vibrant civic heart,” Pavone said.

The vision for the market, reimagined piazza and the surrounding civic spaces was adopted in 2018 after an extensive public engagement process.

“Together these three projects, the Renton Market, the Piazza and Legacy Square, represent the culmination of years of community imagination, city leadership and partnership,” said Pavone. “They reflect a unified belief that our public spaces are not just amenities. They’re catalysts for connection, creativity and belonging.”

The space where the Legacy Square sits was once used as a play area for a nearby daycare.

“One child even vividly recalled falling and saying gravel’s not a lot of fun to play in. It’s a powerful reminder that spaces shape us long before they are fully realized,” said Pavone. “And yet even as an empty gravel lot something remarkable was unfolding. This space kept drawing people in.”

Along with a new playground for children, the square features a futsal court, a form of soccer played on a smaller, half-surface play area. The RAVE Foundation, an official charitable arm of Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, was a major partner in its construction.

“We love building fields and supporting Renton,” Adrian Hanauer, owner of the Seattle Sounders, said. “It just again made me realize how much impact the Sounders, the RAVE, the soccer community can really have on a region. We will build our 52nd field this summer and we will launch a new campaign hopefully in 2031 when the Women’s World Cup will be here.”

As the city of Renton hosts the Belgium National team for the World Cup, the Legacy Square will be open to watch numerous world cup matches throughout the summer.

“Sports have a unique ability to unite us,” Seattle Sports Commission President and CEO Beth Knox said. “They bring together neighbors who may have little else in common than a passion for a team and a sport. Sports create connections across cultures, generations and communities.”

The square will also host summer concerts, movie nights, Renton River Nights and the Renton Farmers Market throughout the summer.

“Today we come together to reflect on a remarkable journey, one that spans more than a decade and represents not only the evolution of the project but the evolution of downtown itself,” Pavone said. “The Renton Market, the Piazza and now Legacy Square each tell a story of imagination, persistence and community-driven transformation. Together you transformed a vision into reality and together you’ve reshaped the heart of Renton for generations to come.”