With the Barton Building in the background, NU athletes work out on the former Seahawks field.
Northwest Renames Former Seahawks Building
KIRKLAND, Wash. - When the Seattle Seahawks left the Northwest University campus in 2008 and moved into their new state-of-the-art building along the eastern shores of Lake Washington, they left behind their 45,000-square-foot building, training facilities and practice fields on 10 acres of the university’s 56 acre campus.
On May 6, Northwest U. honored the man, Randall Barton, who was instrumental in bringing the Seahawks to the NU campus, by naming the building after him in a ceremony hosted by NU president, Joseph Castleberry and other dignitaries.
“It was the greatest single philanthropic act ever directed toward the university,” NU president Joseph Castleberry said during the naming event.
Barton is a former Kirkland mayor and city councilman, not to mention a Northwest University alum. And, was the school’s vice president of development at the time. Barton also was instrumental in keeping the Seahawks in Kirkland when they were looking for new digs in 1985. The team had been headquartered along the Kirkland waterfront at what is now Carillon Point since 1976.
“To have this building named after me is unreal,” Barton after the ceremony.
"If you want a win in the win/loss column you give the ball to Randy Barton," said honorary Board of Directors emeritus Duane Buhler, who played basketball with Barton at NU in the 1950s.
"The Seahawks were here (in Kirkland) for 23 years and were always willing to contribute," said former Kirkland Mayor Bill Woods. "It was a huge move for our city to have them here for so many years. They were just great neighbors."
The deal between Northwest University and the Nordstrom family, which owned the Seahawks at the time, was not easy to get done.
"I still stand amazed at how good that business transaction was," said Barton. "There are a lot of other people who should be mentioned on that plaque."
The Barton Building houses the Eagle Fitness Center, athletic offices and the Creatio recording studio on the lower level and administrative offices on the main floor above. NU men’s and women’s soccer and intramurals train and compete on the natural grass and turf fields the Seahawks used for practices. The grass fields are considered some of the finest in the west because of their ability to drain quickly during the northwest rains.