KeyArena’s 44 million-pound roof now is "completely suspended by dozens of temporary posts and should start being reconnected to the foundation by late February of what’s to be a completely rebuilt venue," according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. Oak View Group construction exec Ken Johnsen said that concrete footings were to "begin being poured" yesterday ahead of "reattaching the foundation and roof and that he should have a more accurate completion date target by late April or early May." The roof was "designated for historical preservation." That has "resulted in months of work to keep it suspended intact above the construction zone, where the arena has been demolished while workers dig down an extra 15 feet ... to expand the venue’s new walls farther outward." By the time that is done, the new arena beneath the old roof "will be roughly 800,000 square feet compared to its prior 368,000." Johnsen said that it will "take about a year to build up the arena -- barring unforeseen circumstances -- once the roof is reconnected by spring" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/22).
GIVE IT A NAME: NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said they are looking at naming rights for the arena, and he is "confident we're going to get it right." THE ATHLETIC's Ryan Clark noted Ohio-based KeyBank "held the naming rights to the old arena." Those rights expired in '10, but the KeyArena name, along with the familiar red KeyBank logo, "remained at the peak of the roof until the old venue shuttered" in '18. NHL Seattle will "take down the logo only once there is a new naming rights partner in place." Leiweke: "The day we unplug it, we’re going to have another name to plug in" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/21).
