A group fronted by entrepreneur Chris Hansen has “written the Seattle City Council and Mayor Jenny Durkan reiterating its wish to create an alternative NBA arena option” in the Sodo neighborhood, according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. The letter, dated Wednesday, states: “We believe providing an alternative arena option in Sodo creates an insurance policy for the city, particularly if a future NBA ownership group is unable to strike a competitive deal at Seattle Center.” Baker notes the city last fall signed off on a partnership that will see Oak View Group overhaul KeyArena for NBA and NHL use. As part of the letter, the Hansen group “referenced an ESPN article from last fall in which the author states that ‘multiple ownership groups’ feel the NBA might prefer a second new arena in Seattle because KeyArena revenues are being split too many different ways.” No names from the ownership groups were “provided by the article.” Hansen’s initial attempt to build a Sodo arena “stalled in May 2016 when the city council rejected a motion to sell him part of Occidental Avenue South to complete his arena land holdings.” Then, in ‘17, Hansen’s group “submitted a new proposal” for a $600M arena “built entirely with private funds.” That pitch “has been in limbo ever since as the city focused on the OVG proposal to revamp KeyArena.” The Hansen group suggests in this week’s letter that its “commitment to build only after securing a team provides a ‘no risk’ proposition to the city” (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/2).
