arena.jpg
Chris Hansen's new arena deal got the green light from both the county and city council on Monday. (AP Photo)

Monday a big day for proposed Seattle arena

BY MyNorthwest.com  on October 15, 2012 @ 4:44 am (Updated: 5:35 pm - 10/15/12 )

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As expected, both the King County Council and Seattle City Council have approved Chris Hansen's plan to build a new arena in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.

The county council voted 9-0 in favor of the plan to build the $490 million arena with $200 million in public help, clearing the way for Hansen to shop for an NBA team, and for the environmental review of the plan to begin. The city council voted 7-2 in favor.

"We are going to be financing it with the rent that is generated from the new arena. Again, this is a source of money that would not be existent if it were not for the existence of the arena," explained county council member Kathy Lambert.

Both councils have said the plan must pass an environmental review before any money will be spent.

"We required that a full EIS (Environmental Impact Study) be done, that a comprehensive traffic impact analysis be completed and that it study reasonable alternatives," said county council member Joe McDermott.

Hansen, a Seattle native and a big Sonics fan, approached Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn last year about building a new arena to attract an NBA team and hopefully an NHL team as well. KeyArena, where the Sonics played, is considered outdated and financially unviable.

Unions representing Port of Seattle workers detailed their plans to sue the city and county if they move forward with the deal.

The union says another sports venue in the SoDo area will erode maritime and warehousing businesses and threaten the livelihood of union members and other workers.

"The steps that we're taking here in this legislation will make sure the transportation in the SoDo area, which is very near here, will remain open and accessible to our farmers and manufacturers throughout the state," said Tim Burgess.

The unions say the city and county violated state law by refusing to perform an environmental review of the proposed arena before signing a deal.

Attorney Peter Goldman says other sites needed to be considered before moving forward. (Read more with Goldman)

"Do this fair and square consistent with state law, no fingers on the scale. We're blowing the whistle now because a foul has been committed. We're not going to wait until the end of the game to start calling fouls."

The unions will have 21 days to file the suit once the mayor and county executive sign the agreement.

Hansen will join McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine for the signing of the legislation Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

"I thank the city and county councils for their hard work and their approval of the arena Memorandum of Understanding. This is another important step toward bringing the Sonics back to Seattle," said McGinn.

KIRO Radio reporter Chris Sullivan contributed to this story.

MyNorthwest.com, Staff report
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Comments (15)


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  • PerenialLosersMs wrote...
    Get Bent
    October 15, 2012 6:08 am
    The longshoremen are just trying to delay the inevitable. They are hoping to steal some money from the situation by filing a rediculous and groundless lawsuit. Their protests are laughable at best.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Badbeans wrote...
    Jobs is #1!
    October 15, 2012 10:30 am
    Well paying middle class jobs are of the most concern to me. I don't see exactly how a arena would impact the port, but then I also don't work there. That being said if there is an impact I say build the arena in the suburbs like Bellevue or something. Just build it along the new east-link rail line so people in Seattle can just hope a short train ride to a game.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Troll Hunter wrote...
    Badbeans
    October 15, 2012 1:21 pm
    No way on Bellevue. Traffic to the games would create a nightmare way worse than anything seen in the Sodo area.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    It seems to me there's a reason...
    October 15, 2012 11:04 am
    ...that area is called "the arena district".
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Concerned US Citizen wrote...
    Deal?
    October 15, 2012 12:17 pm
    If it is such a good deal why does Hansen need 200 million taxpayer dollars for the project? Jobs? Ushers, food preparers,ticket takers---- All part time minimum wage jobs that will effect FULL TIME MIDDLE CLASS port jobs!!! People you have been sold down the river.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lessmith50 wrote...
    Concerned us citizen
    October 15, 2012 3:33 pm
    Your well thought out comments shows me where your head is firmly planted. It is obviously lodged where the sun doesn't shine. Go back under the rock you crawled out from under.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Padre wrote...
    Erode maritime and warehousing businesses?
    October 15, 2012 12:40 pm
    Based on what studies exactly? Did SafeCo or The Clink erode warehousing, or did they just have to move elsewhere (to likely more affordable land)? What a charade put on by the infamously thuggish Port of Seattle union who seem to be ticked off they're not getting a cut in the deal. Stop wasting everyone's time, union thugs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Padre wrote...
    @Concerned
    October 15, 2012 12:47 pm
    It's positively absurd to say that part-time arena jobs world affect people desiring to get a full-time job with the port. Honestly, you can't possibly think anyone wants a part-time job over a full-time job.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Troll Hunter wrote...
    Port of Seattle workers- reality check
    October 15, 2012 1:47 pm
    Let the truth be told and let it set you free. The port seems to think it OWNS the Sodo district, but it doesn't. They got that idea from many years of being the only major player in the area. Back then the problem was that Sodo district was a total and complete industrial wasteland full of homeless, druggies, and dilapidated buildings. No Seattle resident would venture there unless absolutely necessary, and people would tend to avoid Alki and West Seattle because of the drive through Sodo to get there. The area was a blight on the city, and the Port's indifference was obvious. When the Kingdome was imploded and the M's stadium was built we saw the first crack in the ports 'autonomy' in the area, we saw businesses slowly start to creep into the area. When the Seahawks stadium was built we suddenly saw that the sodo district was being revitalized and improved; no thanks to the port. Suddenly the port found itself no longer the only big fish in the Sodo pond. It fears what another arena will do to their power in the area, not anything else. Another arena would force the port to recognize that they aren't the only revenue stream in Seattle and that they don't run Sodo. They cry about many things, things in which they refused to invest any of their money into. The port has issues which they want taxpayers to finance solving, just as they've always done. Remember what happenend when Tacoma rebuilt their port and stole business away from the P of S? The greedy port just wants more free money and to have local government go back to kissing their derrieres like they are royalty. They need to wake up and face reality- they are not the center of Seattle's universe.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lessmith50 wrote...
    Frickin worthless pukes
    October 15, 2012 3:31 pm
    I worked side by side with longshoremen for 11 yrs at the port of tacoma. I was a real worker non union. Let me tell you something about those so called great union workers. They are the laziest most worthless workers I have ever been around. They think somebody died and made them god! They are arrogant. But most of all they are lazy. I have seen them countless times loading ships. I see them drag their a55s so they won't get the job on time so they will have to get overtime. Then I watched them busy their A55 to finish the job in a hour so they get a full day of overtime for one hour of work . I seen that every ship that came in for 11 years. They are corrupt to the bone. As far as I am concerned they can all go .... Themselves. They can .... Off and die as far as I concerned. I felt that about their union years before this debacle.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    The county council voted 9-0 in favor of the plan to build the $490 million arena with "$200 million in public help" . . . .
    October 15, 2012 4:44 pm
    that "public help" was "taxpayer money". Don't FOOL YOURSELF. That was so nice of them to ask us how to spend "our money". They will think its funny when we fire them. See ya at the polls.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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