Seattle’s Space Needle is getting a facelift

SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle’s 56 year-old Space Needle is set to unveil a $100 million renovation next month against the backdrop of a booming tourism industry.

The city and King County benefited from $7.4 billion of spending by a record 40 million visitors last year, according to Visit Seattle, a nonprofit advocacy group for the tourism industry.

Seattle’s Wright family, which built and owns the Space Needle, is installing floor-to-ceiling glass in the observation deck and remodeling the restaurant in the first phase of the renovation.

Repainting the exterior of the 600-foot structure and replacing its three elevators will follow, according to Karen Olson, chief marketing officer at Space Needle.