[1] The second racetrack, Meadows, was built south of the city in then-independent Georgetown by the King County Fair Association under the leadership of Republican politician A. T. Van de Vanter.

After attending college at Brown University, he returned to Seattle and started investing in the city's downtown real estate market; it was during this time that he met and partnered with fellow magnate William Edris, who shared his passion for horse racing.

[16] Seeking an event that would bring grandeur to the racetrack, the Washington Jockey Club announced a mile race with an initial purse of $10,000 on April 14, 1935.

[17] The race, later known as the Longacres Mile Handicap, first took place on August 24; longshot Coldwater finished ahead of favored contender Biff by a nose to pull off the upset and win the title in front of 12,000 spectators.

[9] In the meantime, the U.S. Army erected an artillery barracks on the racetrack's infield, the former of which was converted to a cottage afterwards;[25][26] it also placed anti-aircraft guns at the site to protect the nearby Boeing factory.

[31] Meanwhile, the racetrack faced competition in the entertainment space with the arrival of professional sports teams in Seattle, having to compete for media coverage with the likes of the NBA's SuperSonics, the NFL's Seahawks, and MLB's Mariners.

[36][37] After three years of continuous decline, the management at Longacres decided to enact a turnaround plan out of desperation in May 1987, intent on making the experience at the racetrack more family-friendly and approachable to casual spectators; this included training on betting and promotions that made the races secondary attractions.

The racetrack even embraced its entertainment rivals, converting a restaurant into a room full of televisions intended for watching the local professional sports teams as well as the horse races.

[44] However, Hoppe's successor, Ruthe Ridder, repealed the classification in January 1984 under an order from the Washington State Department of Revenue, requiring the owners to pay $31,000 in back taxes.

[9][40] On September 27, 1990, Kenneth Alhadeff announced that Broadacres had sold the Longacres site to Boeing; the company reportedly paid $80 million in the sale.

[47][50] However, Boeing eventually reached an agreement with the non-profit Emerald Racing Association to operate the racetrack for two more years; the latter paid annual fees significantly below fair market value during that time.

[53] The final Longacres Mile Handicap at the track, the 57th one overall, occurred on August 23, 1992; Bolulight prevailed over Ibero by a half-length to win the $293,800 purse in front of 17,182 spectators.

[46] While Boeing mulled over alternate options for the Longacres site, the company obtained permits from the city of Renton to demolish the racetrack structures in December 1994; demolition began immediately, with the process completed by the following year.

[60] Boeing eventually ordered a clear-out of the campus in February 2021, officially listing it for sale on April 6 with no succeeding headquarters location identified; the company cited the viability of remote work in its decision.

[66] In the meantime, Unico had reached a deal with Alaska Airlines in March 2023 to expand the latter's presence in the North Building to 107,000 square feet (9,900 m2) while extending the lease by 20 years.