Key Arena & Seattle Center’s Future

Today’s special episode of Seattle Growth Podcast focuses on the future of Key Arena. This issue has become more relevant as multiple groups are hoping to bring professional basketball and hockey back to Seattle. Key Arena played home to the basketball franchise Seattle Supersonics until 2008, when the team moved to Oklahoma City. In its current state, the arena does not meet the expectations of the NBA or the NHL.

There are three proposals to develop an NBA-ready arena that are being considered by City Council. Two groups have proposed to renovate Key Arena, while one group, led by Chris Hansen, is proposing to develop a sports and entertainment complex in the SODO neighborhood.

The issue is now two-fold: Which proposal will the city support for the purpose of attracting professional basketball and hockey teams?  And secondly, if Key Arena is not chosen for that purpose, what will the city do with that public asset?

In this episode, City Councilmember Rob Johnson describes the process by which the proposals will be evaluated and offers insight into the pros and cons of each.

Developer Sam Farrazaino offers an alternative vision for repurposing Key Arena should a development in SODO becomes the home of professional arena sports.

This episode gives you a better understanding of how public resources may be deployed in bringing the NBA and NHL to Seattle and in improving Seattle Center.

 

Episode Recap

Rob Johnson describes what Seattle Center means to the city as whole (4:45). He describes what he would like Key Arena to mean to Seattle Center and the region (5:49) and what he is looking for in the proposals (7:48). He notes his concern is “to make sure that we are not privatizing the profit and publicizing the risk.”

He describes the pros and cons of the Oak View Group proposal (9:44). He views the community partnerships and community outreach as positives. Johnson noted, “The financial elements are the pieces that are the hardest to unravel because they both require some level of public subsidies.”

One concern Johnson noted with the Oak View Group proposal is how it will affect the citizens of Seattle. “They ask for a forgiveness on the sales taxes associated with construction, which will likely save them several hundreds of millions of dollars…They may not require a direct public subsidy. By not paying that sales tax, it does have a downstream impact on the kinds of services that we can provide as a city and county.”

Johnson briefly described the memorandum of understanding the city has signed with the SoDo arena group (13:12) and then discussed the pros and cons of the Seattle Partners proposal to renovate Key Arena (14:35). “From an urban design perspective, it is a slightly better proposal the way it meets the street.” Johnson noted the transportation investment strategies as another benefit. However, the financial component is something he believes needs to be vetted properly. “The biggest piece of their financial assumptions are again that access to city bonding authority. There are some other issues that I think we need to have worked out too.”

Johnson also provides an explanation of the process by which the arena will be chosen (16:29).

As far as the timeline for an arena to be built? “Even if we were to sign on the dotted line with a Key Arena proposal before the end of the year, we are still several years away from actually being ready for the building to start construction. Whereas if were to sign on the dotted line with SoDo before the end of the year, they could start construction immediately after we sign on the dotted line.”

If the SODO proposal is approved, it appears from episode 8 of Seattle Growth Podcast that the mayor’s office believes the city can accommodate only one sports and entertainment complex. This means the city might need to find another use for its public asset. To stimulate creative thinking about alternative futures for Seattle’ Center’s Key Arena, I reached out to a Seattle Growth Podcast guest from Season 1, artist-turned-developer Sam Farrazaino.

Sam Farrazaino envisions an “arts enclave in the spirit of a Pike Place Market. Local people who are creating stuff on site.” Keeping the existing structure intact, he would “break the central part of the arena down into four different performance venues.” Using the service stations and suites, he would create spaces for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists. This would allow visitors to “experience the arts in the place they are made.” He argues, “we need more space for local arts to thrive.”  

Farrazaino shares what inspired the idea (32:15). He provides a rough estimate of what it would cost (37:35) and describes how the project could earn back the investment (38:10) with more specifics on how to possibly make the numbers work at 48:42.   

What could does he believe this mean to Seattle Center (42:58) and to the city (52:05)? Listen to find out.

S2 Ep. 11: Get The Arena You Want

In the final episode of the season, former Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark gives guidance on how to effectively engage city government on Sonic Boom Day, April 17th. She shares the best way to communicate your opinions along with some do’s and don’ts. Her guidance helps anyone with a passion about a city issue get their point across.

Also in this episode, host Jeff Shulman reveals that he is not actually a Sonics fan. However, he discusses how he has been moved by people who have made this city great. People from diverse races, genders, educations, and political affiliations who have been brought together and inspired by the world class athletes wearing Sonics uniforms.

Sharing what the Sonics have historically meant to the city of Seattle, the episode features quotes from Pete Nordstrom, Slick Watts, Lenny Wilkens, Detlef Schrempf, Professor Jen Hoffman, Jack and Steve Hussey,  Debi Frausto, Jeff Brown, Lauren Henry and Nicole Morrison.

 

S2 Ep. 10: Chris Hansen & Efforts to Bring Back the Sonics

In the nearly 10 years since the NBA franchise Seattle Supersonics left for Oklahoma City, several people have been working tirelessly to bring the Sonics back to Seattle. This episode gives you a window into the hearts and minds of two people working for several years to return Seattle to the league of cities playing host to professional basketball. In this episode you will hear from:

1. Chris Hansen; the leader of a group of investors attempting to bring an NBA franchise to an arena in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. He discusses his motivations for continued efforts to bring Seattle an NBA franchise. He also shares rare insights into where his group is in the process.

2. Jeff Brown; a Sonics fan and leader of the Bring Back our Sonics movement. He shares why he continues to rally fans years after the NBA left the Emerald City.

What you will learn in this episode:

  1. What Hansen’s group needs from the city to break ground on an arena.
  2. What Chris Hansen learned from 2012 efforts to purchase and relocate Sacramento Kings.
  3. Whether a hockey-first approach for a SoDo arena can work.
  4. Chris Hansen’s thoughts on relocation of an existing franchise versus NBA league expansion.

Sonic Boom Day is coming April 17th. Residents from across Seattle will be sharing their voice with Seattle City Council on where they would like an arena to be developed. As City Council is in the process of determining where to pave the way for a return of the NBA, developing an informed opinion can help you achieve the outcome that is in your best interest.

This episode of Seattle Growth Podcast gives you unique insight into what the NBA can mean to the residents of Seattle and what the proposal for a SoDo arena would mean to you and life in this city.

S2 Ep. 9: Seattle Real Estate Trends and Effect of Sonics Arena

Sonic Boom Day is coming April 17th! People from around the city will be sharing their voice with City Council on the same day so that wishes of Seattle residents can be heard loud and clear. Prepare with today’s episode, which focuses on how the arena location decision would affect your wallet through its effect on rents, home values, and further development.

In this episode:

Craig Kinzer, Founder and CEO of Kinzer Partners, explains the real estate development that should occur around a new arena.

Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist at Windermere Real Estate describes current trends in Seattle Real Estate and how they would be affected by a return of the Sonics and the arena location they call home.

Realtors Tyler Davis Jones and Phil Greely discuss what a return of the Sonics would mean to their lives and their business.

In this episode, you will learn:

  1. Is it a good time to buy or sell a home in Seattle?
  2. How would the arena location affect rents and home values in the surrounding areas?
  3. How would a return of the Sonics affect home values citywide?
  4. How would the arena’s location affect the development around it?

S2 Ep. 8: Key Arena Remodel and the Transformation of Seattle Uptown

There are potentially three private groups vying to invest roughly half a billion dollars into a sports and entertainment complex in Seattle. The city is weighing a proposal for a SoDo arena and inviting proposals for a renovation of Seattle Center’s Key Arena. Decisions will soon be made and this episode helps you become further informed of the issues.

 

In this episode:

 

Get the scoop on how the city is approaching a potential Key Arena location from Brian Surratt, director of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development.

 

Get an inside look at Oak View Groups intentions to submit a proposal from Lance Lopes, director of special projects at Oak View Group.

Hear the challenges and opportunities the surrounding neighborhood sees from Debi Frausto (with Robert Cardona) who serves on the KeyArena Subcommittee Chair for the Seattle Uptown Alliance and is also on the Mayor’s Key Arena Advisory Panel.


This episode will give you a better understanding of how a Key Arena renovation could impact you and life in this city.

For more information on the Uptown Alliance, visit their website or their Facebook page. The Uptown Alliance conducted a survey on a Key Arena renovation. You can see the results here.

S2 Ep. 7: Sonics, Lenny Wilkens, & Seattle’s Residents in Need

This episode gives you a behind the scenes look at the life and impact off the court of the first coach to deliver Seattle a professional sports championship. You will hear from Hall of Fame Sonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens about his upbringing and his motivation to help his community through the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children.

You will also hear from Dr. Ben Danielson of the Odessa Brown Clinic as he shares personal stories of how Lenny Wilkens has affected his life and the lives of the children he serves.

The episode continues our exploration of what a return of the Sonics could mean to Seattle. But much more than that, it provides a story of the difference one person can make in the lives around them. A story that will hopefully inspire others in our community.

In this episode, host Jeff Shulman calls upon listeners to “Live Like Lenny.” If you have time to do something good for the community, snap a picture and share on social media using #LiveLikeLenny.

Whether it is bringing food to a food bank, bringing clothes, blankets or supplies to a shelter, cleaning trash from a public space, or volunteering with a religious or secular organization, listeners are asked to show the ripple effect our positive role models can have on our community.

S2 Ep. 6: Sonics, Detlef Schrempf, & Seattle Residents in Need

Though Seattle’s economy has grown dramatically, there are still many residents in need. This episode explores what a return of the Sonics could mean to the less fortunate residents of Seattle.

To explore this question, this episode gives you an inside look into the work of one of Seattle’s star athletes. While any basketball fan in the mid-90s recognizes the contributions Detlef Schrempf made on the court, this episode gives unique insights into the lives he changed off the court.

Recognized as a 3-time NBA All-star, the first german born player to lead a team to the NBA finals, and the player of choice for video game fans who played NBA jam, Detlef Schrempf left an indelible mark as a player for the Sonics. As a citizen in our community, his reach extends well beyond basketball enthusiasts.

The episode features in-depth interviews with:
Detlef Schrempf: Three-time NBA All-Star and two time Sixth Man of the Year.
Nicole Morrison: Executive Director of the Detlef Schrempf Foundation

Lauren Henry: A beneficiary of Detlef Schrempf’s contributions to Rise N’ Shine.

You will learn what Detlef Schrempf has accomplished with his foundation and what motivated him to make the contributions here in Seattle.

As decisions are being made at the city level that could pave the way for a return of the Sonics, this episode gives a better understanding of how these decisions would affect the interwoven fabric of people who call Seattle home.

S2 Ep. 5: The Sonics and Seattle’s Children

What do Seattle’s children have to gain from a return of NBA basketball to the city?

Episode 5 of the Seattle Growth Podcast, season 2, explores how decisions being made at the civic level regarding a return of the Seattle Supersonics might impact future generations of Seattle youth.

Legendary Sonic Slick Watts discusses how his NBA playing days influenced his contributions to the community, including decades of youth coaching and development that yielded the cultivation of NBA prospects Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford.

Colin Davenport, a youth coach who grew up in Seattle, describes how the Sonics shaped his life.

Pat Dobel, a University of Washington professor and creator of the sports blog “Point of the Game,” shares his experiences in the personal development of collegiate athletes and cautions against expecting too much from the return of the NBA.

Also, tweets from Sonics fans and Seattle Growth Podcast listeners.

S2 Ep. 4: Seattle SuperSonics and Seattle Super Traffic

How would a return of the Sonics affect your evening commute? With two arena locations under city consideration, this episode brings you the scoop on how each of them would affect you.

In this episode, you will hear:

  1. 3-time NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf discusses his time playing at Seattle’s Key Arena.
  2. Scott Kubly, Director of Seattle Department of Transportation, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the transportation network serving each location.
  3. Martin Duke, Editor at Seattle Transit Blog, describes the current and future state of transit serving the two locations.

S2 Ep. 3: The SoDo Arena and Port Jobs

The SoDo arena group was a street vacation away from being ready to invite the NBA to a modern Seattle arena, but the Port of Seattle has been an outspoken opponent. Find out exactly what the Port opposes and get a further understanding of why the Port is concerned about the SoDo arena.

In this episode, you will hear from Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton.

You will also get historical context about the Port of Seattle from former Port CEO Mic Dinsmore, who served in that capacity for 15 years from 1992 to 2007.

The episode concludes with the executive director of the Manufacturing Industrial Council Dave Gering who describes the local maritime industry and how he fears a SODO arena could impact not just the industry, but all residents of Seattle.

The city is in the midst of its decision-making process, and now is the time to become informed about the benefits and challenges associated with potential locations.