Could Seattle put on a world's fair today?

On April 21, 1962, the Seattle World’s Fair opened. The “Century 21 Exhibition” ran for six months, drew 11 million visitors, turned a profit and left the Northwest with a wonderful Seattle Center.

A half century later, many of the fair’s landmarks remain, and the Center’s 73-acres is a gathering place for people from all walks of life. It is Seattle’s Central Park.

The Space Needle has become Seattle’s icon. Conceived in an architect’s notebook, it was constructed in eight months at a cost of roughly $3 million in private funds.

You have to wonder if a project of this scope and magnitude coul...