Officials with San Diego's Valley View Casino Center said that AEG, which operates the arena, is "'bullish' on San Diego as a market and is prepared when the time is right to pitch San Diego on an 18,500-seat arena," according to Tod Leonard of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Valley View GM Ernie Hahn said that the new venue could host "more than 200 events a year and contribute valuable meeting space for conventions." The arena’s size would "meet requirements for teams in the NBA and NHL interested in moving to San Diego." Hahn: "It's time to start talking about a new arena." Valley View leaseholder Ron Hahn, Ernie's father, said that his company has owned land since the late '90s "adjacent to what is now the Padres’ tailgate park." He said that a new arena would cost between $250-300M, and one financing possibility "envisions AEG San Diego paying half while the other half is subsidized by city bonds." Ron Hahn: "We have a pretty progressive mayor (Kevin Faulconer). He wants to make it happen. But right now the Chargers are more important than a new arena for the city." AEG Facilities President Bob Newman said, "We’re as excited about a future arena in San Diego as we are any market in the world." The Hahns are "confident" the AHL Gulls would "relish playing in a new arena, but also contend NBA and NHL teams looking to move would take a long look at San Diego" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/12).
