arena.jpg
"The longshoreman are asking the court to set aside this agreement," union attorney Peter Goldman said. "That would prevent anyone on either side from using this agreement to move forward. We need to start all over again." (AP Photo/File)

King County judge expected to rule on lawsuit against SoDo arena

BY Chris Sullivan  on February 22, 2013 @ 4:59 am (Updated: 10:02 am - 2/22/13 )

It's a big day for the proposed arena in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. A King County judge is expected to rule on one of the lawsuits attempting to stop the project.

The local longshoreman's union is asking King County Superior Court judge Douglass North to throw out the city and county's deal with investor Chris Hansen.

"The longshoreman are asking the court to set aside this agreement," union attorney Peter Goldman said. "That would prevent anyone on either side from using this agreement to move forward. We need to start all over again."

Goldman said the deal to invest nearly $500 million into a new arena in SoDo violates environmental law because a full review of the impacts of the arena were not done before the deal was signed.

"It's completely the cart before the horse," he said. "That's contrary to the law, and we hope the judge agrees with us."

Studies on traffic impacts and economic impacts all needed to be completed before this deal was agreed to by the city and the county, and other potential sites needed to be included, Goldman will argue in court Friday.

"We require facts before we make decisions," Goldman said. "There are no facts here. We don't know what the impacts are going to be on any sector of Seattle. We should have had those facts upfront."

The union worries that a third arena next to the Port of Seattle would bring too much congestion to the neighborhood, costing local jobs and hurting the profitability of the port.

A ruling against this project could significantly impact Hansen's deal to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle. He's been using this deal to pitch his plan to the NBA.

And let's not forget the deal to buy and move the Kings is still not guaranteed. We've been waiting for weeks now for Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson to unveil his big plan to keep the team in California. He told ESPN that despite Hansen's deal to buy and move the team, "I can assure you and the Seattle fans it is not a done deal."

Johnson said he will unveil the investors that he hopes will encourage the NBA to nix the Seattle deal within a few days. "They've been referred to as the 'whales,'" he said. "We will be unveiling who they are this week or next week."

Hansen and his group have offered the Kings' owners $340 million for a 65 percent stake in the team, with the understanding that it would be moved to Seattle.

The NBA is expected to rule on that in April.

Read more:
Resolution supports keeping Kings in Sacramento

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (34)


  • Add A Comment

  • clevesside wrote...
    Is it a good day.......
    February 22, 2013 9:52 am
    ...for trolling? If you hate elite B-ball and wealthy civic benefactors, we'll find out then. A blustery day can blow anything one's way.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    Why does the Port care?
    February 22, 2013 9:55 am
    Last I checked, the Stadium is in Seattle and within 5 years, all shipping will be in Tacoma.

    Port of Seattle is over, the best thing they could do is try to partner with Port of Tacoma. Otherwise, they will grasp at straws in a futile effort to stay alive.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Darn it all, anyway. Even basketball players and fans have to follow the law...
    February 22, 2013 10:18 am
    If the law says you can't put up a basketball arena, a supermarket, a post office, or a grade school without first doing a review of the environmental impact (and I am pretty sure that it does)that's what the law says. Simply because 50,000 sports fans are Jonesing for a basketball team doesn't mean that 950,000 other people should just accept increased traffic congestion, etc...*if* that's what the environmental impact review reveals we would have.

    If this project gets "special treatment" because it's a basketball arena and a lot of people would be excited to have the NBA back in Seattle, how about special treatment for additional strip joints? Special treatment for marijuana retailers? Lots of people would be equally excited to see those businesses located in Seattle, or the number of locations expanded.

    We all need to follow the law. If the law sucks, then change it. Until we change it, everybody gets to carry the same cross.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zagnut wrote...
    Chuck, are you aware that the Hansen group is well aware that the site must pass an environmental impact review or the arena won't be built?
    February 22, 2013 11:48 am
    Maybe you aren't aware, and that is the reason why you made such a foolish point.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Aaron in Sammamish wrote...
    Did you know...
    February 22, 2013 10:45 am
    ...that we still owe ~$80M on the construction of the Kingdome? How quickly people forget that this city and region have a reputation for horribly mismanaging these sorts of projects, be they stadiums, mass transit, etc. Now, I'm no sports fan, and I often don't understand sports fans, but I'd like to think that they're just as respectful of the law as I am. Are the longshoremen rightly concerned about the impact of the project? I don't know, and frankly, I don't really care. If the city and Hansen dodged the law to get this deal "done," then yeah, it should go back to the drawing board. If they didn't great. What's to disagree with?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Beaten Down Dead Horse wrote...
    Ef Ewe Cs'er's "That's My Name"
    February 22, 2013 10:47 am
    Ef Ewe Cs'er's "That's My Name"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    @Beaten Down Dead Horse - Brilliant!
    February 22, 2013 11:51 am
    That was HILARIOUS! I remeber that LONGSHOREMEN UNION Jackass...Pretty much epitomizes the majority of these morons
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    This is all
    February 22, 2013 11:00 am
    about GREED. The union is doing this to get the city to pay them off or give them something. UNION THUGGERY.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    O-HELL YES!
    February 22, 2013 11:20 am
    ball on the one yard and CH and the Seattle, King County clowns fumble the ball! We the taxpayers have their(there) balls now!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Teahawk wrote...
    Not that I care one way or another...
    February 22, 2013 11:42 am
    But this isn't going to stop the new arena deal either way - I doubt the judge will have the basketballs to do anything that will cause significant delay. EIS study?? How about the environmental impact of rotting old buildings? This will be a clear upgrade environmentally.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    See folks xcop knows how long it is
    February 22, 2013 12:09 pm
    she has "first hand" experience. U R 2 E Z. She is my little b*tch.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • clevesside wrote...
    If the Judge says "no"......
    February 22, 2013 12:30 pm
    .....expect an appeal, then another, then another, etc, et al, ad nauseum. SODO Traffic remains gridded till eternity, ancient mudflats sink and swallow Port of Seattle, NBA says Omak is perfect site for expansion per their business model, and so on. See you in a ferry line somewhere. Oh, and local unions get decertified.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Omak!
    February 22, 2013 10:10 pm
    Hilarious!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }