The arena situation in Seattle has become a "completely different story" over the last week, as local officials now "actually get to choose" between a privately financed venue in Sodo or a renovated KeyArena, according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. The two groups will "openly compete; with NBA and NHL leadership looking on, knowing a winning site won't be in some distant suburb." However, the two proposals are not an "apples-to-apples comparison." The Sodo project involves hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen "building a brand new facility he'd own." Meanwhile, the city-owned KeyArena would be "profitable but likely would lose money if a Sodo venue opens." The "savings on an all-private Sodo arena must be measured against potential corresponding KeyArena and Seattle Center losses." Likewise, complaints about future Sodo traffic by the Port of Seattle "must be weighed against similar concerns from businesses and homeowners" in the area near KeyArena. The economics are "complex and will require specialists to closely scrutinize details." But once done, the NBA and NHL will "likely both be eager to enter this market" either in a "brand new, or newly upgraded central locale" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/31).
COMPETING BIDDERS: A SEATTLE TIMES editorial states that last week was a "game changer for Seattle sports fans." The challenge for Mayor Ed Murray, the City Council and other local officials is to "make the best deal with the least harm, especially for the maritime and manufacturing industries threatened by the prospect of a third sports complex shoehorned into the Sodo neighborhood." Bringing the NBA "back to town -- and adding an NHL franchise -- are great civic goals," but last week's news "showed that city leaders have options and can demand a better deal" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/29). In Las Vegas, Steve Carp wrote if the NBA returns to Seattle, the SuperSonics would be the "prime tenant and would control all the lucrative dates." Any NHL team "would be second in the pecking order." As much as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners "want to be in the Seattle market to balance out the conferences at 16 teams apiece, they need to ask themselves at what price would they be willing to do so while meeting their own established criteria for expansion." The league would have to "find an ownership group that could afford to pay" the $500M expansion fee. Carp: "Would the arena be suitable for hockey? ... Would the Seattle market support the NHL? Probably, but not before the NBA" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/30).
