Sources said that Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn today will unveil a proposal from S.F. businessman Chris Hansen to "build a sports arena in Seattle to lure NBA and NHL teams." A source indicated that Hansen would "privately reveal details of his offer to McGinn, who is expected to hold a news conference without Hansen present to discuss the proposal." Hansen said that he is "only reluctantly stepping forward now because of the intense interest in and speculation around his arena proposal," which is "expected to include a combination of private money and tax revenues" (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/16).
The SEATTLE TIMES' Jerry Brewer writes Hansen "cautions that he's still 'very early in the process' and 'a lot could derail it,' but he's far enough along to start selling himself, if not his proposal." The SEATTLE TIMES' Steve Kelley writes in his 50-minute interview with the paper, "Hansen said all of the right things, and he said them with conviction. This wasn't some slick dealmaker offering promises he couldn't keep and making demands that weren't real."
