Seattle Arena Hansen

[JMR]

I'd say that is just his opinion. You do realize that Leiweke is CEO of Anschultz Entertainment group, who are expected to submit a Key Arena proposal ? So I'd say his remarks (opinions) are a bit self serving and to be taken with a grain of salt.

So you're telling me it's just his "opinion" that the proposal meets the requirements (which are undoubtedly objective criteria with YES/NO qualifiers) of the NBA & NHL? Come on. You can not like the Key idea, but if the plan meets the specs, then it meets the specs. No opinion involved.

As a fan I find the Sudo plan more desirable by far. You'll have better parking arrangements by far, the Sounder train is also available ( no need to stand in line again to get on a mono rail ). A bigger and better facility and on and on. It's really a no brainer for a fan. The city of course is determined to block it, because it will make Key Arena obsolete and useless. Apparently they want to double down their money on Key Arena and holding to the hope they can jam it down professional leagues throats, despite the fact that the NBA already turned their noses up at it.

Like I said, I'm not hung up on a qualitative comparison. Not saying the Key would be better than something in SODO. But if it comes down to the Key or nothing, I'll go with the Key and make the best of it.

 

[jakedog56]

I did not hear the interview with Leiweke. It may well be that it would meet the capacity requirements but did he discuss luxury boxes? Also, did he address any of the other points that I brought up?

The groups and their proposals are all professionals. I would assume that they have considered and addressed any potential issues. I would be interested to know what the details are and how the proposals compare.

Since I no longer live in the area (as some here know, I have lived in Norway for some years now) and have been royally pissed off at the NBA, I have disassociated myself from the situation. If anyone has any sources, please present them.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

So you're telling me it's just his "opinion" that the proposal meets the requirements (which are undoubtedly objective criteria with YES/NO qualifiers) of the NBA & NHL?

Didn't the NBA leave Seattle because they said Key Arena didn't meet their requirements and a remodel would not change that?

NBA commissioner David Stern says KeyArena renovation not an option for Sonics

So yes think it's wishful thinking or flat out disingenuous on Leiweke part. I don't think the NBA will ever agree to use Key Arena, but NHL probably would and add music events and such and maybe Key Arena won't be a white elephant....maybe. To help get this passed they pretend like it's a viable option for the NBA( easy to do since it will be some time before that gets proven to be a lie ) and kill the Sudo plan and any chance of the NBA coming back.

 

[JMR]

Didn't the NBA leave Seattle because they said Key Arena didn't meet their requirements and a remodel would not change that?

NBA commissioner David Stern says KeyArena renovation not an option for Sonics

So yes think it's wishful thinking or flat out disingenuous on Leiweke part. I don't think the NBA will ever agree to use Key Arena, but NHL probably would and add music events and such and maybe Key Arena won't be a white elephant....maybe. To help get this passed they pretend like it's a viable option for the NBA( easy to do since it will be some time before that gets proven to be a lie ) and kill the Sudo plan and any chance of the NBA coming back.

Well, wouldn't that just be David Stern's opinion?? That one cuts both ways.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Well, wouldn't that just be David Stern's opinion?? That one cuts both ways.

NBA commissioner vs a investment group trying to capitalize on a Key Arena remodel. Mmmm who has more creditability on what the NBA wants and requires.

 

[JMR]

I did not hear the interview with Leiweke. It may well be that it would meet the capacity requirements but did he discuss luxury boxes? Also, did he address any of the other points that I brought up?

Like I said, general detail. He said the RPI meets the requirements for both NBA and NHL. They didn't do a lot of talking about luxury boxes, but again, why go through all that trouble of the RPI proposal and not have the normal characteristics of a contemporary facility commensurate to what the others have?

The groups and their proposals are all professionals. I would assume that they have considered and addressed any potential issues. I would be interested to know what the details are and how the proposals compare.

Since I no longer live in the area (as some here know, I have lived in Norway for some years now) and have been royally pissed off at the NBA, I have disassociated myself from the situation. If anyone has any sources, please present them.

I would be interested in a bit more detail as well. I think this first step was to flush out feasibility. Certainly lots more work to do.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Well, wouldn't that just be David Stern's opinion

Didn't the NBA end up leaving ? So more then a opinion at this point.

 

[JMR]

NBA commissioner vs a investment group trying to capitalize on a Key Arena remodel. Mmmm who has more creditability on what the NBA wants and requires.

Ok, so what requirements does the Key RPI not meet for NBA and NHL?

 

[JMR]

Didn't the NBA end up leaving ? So more then a opinion at this point.

Oh ok, so the NBA leaving 10 years ago means this current plan doesn't possibly meet league requirements for an arena? What kind of moronic logic is that? Seriously.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Oh ok, so the NBA leaving 10 years ago means this current plan doesn't possibly meet league requirements for an arena? What kind of moronic logic is that? Seriously.

What's changed since then? Has the property got bigger, is there more and better parking, is the traffic better?

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Why you don't understand that this isn't about getting the NBA back to Seattle for city officials, it's about trying to change Key Arena from being a white elephant. The NBA isn't moving back into Key Arena, that's all a bunch BS to get the backing for a remodel. Sudo at least gives Seattle a chance to get the NBA back, may not happen either, but hands down a better chance then Key Arena.

 

[JMR]

I did not hear the interview with Leiweke. It may well be that it would meet the capacity requirements but did he discuss luxury boxes? Also, did he address any of the other points that I brought up?

One thing I flubbed: it was Bob Newman (President of AEG) that was interviewed to talk about the plan. April 13th, hour 2 of B&S. Available on demand at the 710 website.

 

[JMR]

Why you don't understand that this isn't about getting the NBA back to Seattle for city officials, it's about trying to change Key Arena from being a white elephant. The NBA isn't moving back into Key Arena, that's all a bunch BS to get the backing for a remodel. Sudo at least gives Seattle a chance to get the NBA back, may not happen either, but hands down a better chance then Key Arena.

Look dude, all I'm saying is that the folks who just put a bunch of time and money into coming up with a plan to rebuild Key Arena have a proposal that they say meets the requirements for the NBA and NHL. This flies directly in the face of the argument that the Key can't be rebuilt for those 2 leagues. I am not saying the NBA will come back. I am not saying the NHL will come. I am not saying the Key would be better than a new facility in SODO (and I don't why you continually say Sudo...it's SODO). I am not pretending I know the motivation or agenda of city officials. I'm just saying I disagree that the Key is an *impossible* option. That's all.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

I'm just saying I disagree that the Key is an *impossible* option. That's all.

For the NBA? I'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[jakedog56]

Unless something radical changes, I don't see how the Key is feasible. Even if you dug down and expanded the footprint to add the luxury boxes and the additional seats, the other issues still remain.

Let's be clear: luxury boxes, additional facilities for shopping, food, entertainment, rec., and onsite group owned parking are not NBA requirements. But they are necessary to make a profit. According to previous records, the Sonics broke even or lost money in the latter years unless a playoff run occurred. That was the only time they were profitable.

Maybe there is a secret agreement for Balmer to bring the Clips to Seattle in a few years? I thought that they had a lease agreement in place for some years now? That would be a game changer but it would cost him 100s of millions in value to do that.

 

[dude82]

Unless something radical changes, I don't see how the Key is feasible. Even if you dug down and expanded the footprint to add the luxury boxes and the additional seats, the other issues still remain.

Let's be clear: luxury boxes, additional facilities for shopping, food, entertainment, rec., and onsite group owned parking are not NBA requirements. But they are necessary to make a profit. According to previous records, the Sonics broke even or lost money in the latter years unless a playoff run occurred. That was the only time they were profitable.

Maybe there is a secret agreement for Balmer to bring the Clips to Seattle in a few years? I thought that they had a lease agreement in place for some years now? That would be a game changer but it would cost him 100s of millions in value to do that.

This is the key (no pun intended) point here, I think. It's all well and good that the new Key Arena proposal, whatever it is, meets NBA and NHL capacity guidelines, but what's in it for any potential NBA or NHL owner looking to move his or her team to Seattle? If I remember correctly, Barry Ackerley sold the Sonics to Howard Schultz because the lease agreement on the remodeled Key was terrible for him financially and he was losing money on it. How he got Schultz to buy the team, I'll never know. He either did a Jedi mind trick or Schultz probably thought he could renegotiate the lease deal himself once he took over and make it more favorable for him.

If the Key is remodeled again, using city money, and the city is the party that makes up the lease terms again, with no way for team owners to make money from the building they play in or its surrounding area, what incentive does that give any prospective team owners to move their team here or start a new franchise here? They can make the newly remodeled Key as league friendly as they want capacity wise, but if the owners aren't going to make money having a team play there, you're just going to end up with a newly remodeled building that gets used about as often as it did before the remodel, only now the city will be in a bigger financial hole than it was before on the property.

I don't know. Maybe I'm talking out of my ass here, but I think capacity issues are the least of the problems with the Key idea and I can't see anyone other than city officials going for it.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Some changes to the area around Key Arena:

Seattle in Progress

90 permits given for on going projects, here a map showing them.

Downtown Seattle development had a record-breaking 2016


West of I-5 and north to Denny alone, more than 70 permit-approved projects currently underway with 6,618 units of residential, compared to 26 projects completed since 2014.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Didn't the NBA leave Seattle because they said Key Arena didn't meet their requirements and a remodel would not change that?

NBA commissioner David Stern says KeyArena renovation not an option for Sonics

So yes think it's wishful thinking or flat out disingenuous on Leiweke part. I don't think the NBA will ever agree to use Key Arena, but NHL probably would and add music events and such and maybe Key Arena won't be a white elephant....maybe. To help get this passed they pretend like it's a viable option for the NBA( easy to do since it will be some time before that gets proven to be a lie ) and kill the Sudo plan and any chance of the NBA coming back.

Stern used the Key as an excuse so Clay Bennett could move the team. The Sonics were good as dead once Bennett got ownership. Another hold up of the NBA coming back to the city is if Bennett is still head of the relocation committee appointed by Stern. If he's still there Seattle will never get the Sonics back reguardless of what happens to the Key or else where. If Bennett isn't in charge then Seattle will eventually get the Sonics back since Silver mentioned it's a priority to get the NBA back to the city.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Stern used the Key as an excuse so Clay Bennett could move the team. The Sonics were good as dead once Bennett got ownership. Another hold up of the NBA coming back to the city is if Bennett is still head of the relocation committee appointed by Stern. If he's still there Seattle will never get the Sonics back reguardless of what happens to the Key or else where. If Bennett isn't in charge then Seattle will eventually get the Sonics back since Silver mentioned it's a priority to get the NBA back to the city.

The Key Arena was losing money for the Sonics so Shultz wanted a better arena built. Course the economy tanked and there was no chance that city or state was spending money on a new arena when they were scrambling to pay for more important things, nor should they have. It's a crime that Shultz didn't find a local owner and took the easy money from Bennett. However doesn't change the fact that the Key Arena isn't truely feasible for the NBA and Chris Hansen arena would be. The whole argument that the NBA would consider it ( moving into Key Arena) is being used to kill Hansen project. Why? Because his project would siphon off music and other events from Key Arena and the K.A. would continue to be a white elephant. They ( City officials and investors) need to hold out the false hope, nay...the lie that Key Arena could help lure the NBA back to garner the backing from voters for this white elephant IMO.
As someone who use to work near the Key Arena years ago, I can tell you first hand that the traffic was ridiculously bad and so was the parking and the area has exploded with development since then and many more projects are in progress as I type this ( see map above). No way....no how could it be a good idea for the NBA to go back to Key Arena and really won't be good for the area in general, it's over congested as is.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

The Key Arena was losing money for the Sonics so Shultz wanted a better arena built. Course the economy tanked and there was no chance that city or state was spending money on a new arena when they were scrambling to pay for more important things, nor should they have. It's a crime that Shultz didn't find a local owner and took the easy money from Bennett. However doesn't change the fact that the Key Arena isn't truely feasible for the NBA and Chris Hansen arena would be. The whole argument that the NBA would consider it ( moving into Key Arena) is being used to kill Hansen project. Why? Because his project would siphon off music and other events from Key Arena and the K.A. would continue to be a white elephant. They ( City officials and investors) need to hold out the false hope, nay...the lie that Key Arena could help lure the NBA back to garner the backing from voters for this white elephant IMO.
As someone who use to work near the Key Arena years ago, I can tell you first hand that the traffic was ridiculously bad and so was the parking and the area has exploded with development since then and many more projects are in progress as I type this ( see map above). No way....no how could it be a good idea for the NBA to go back to Key Arena and really won't be good for the area in general, it's over congested as is.

Did Shultz sell to Bennett cause he was the only person looking to buy or did Shultz's have multiple bidders from local?