SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Seattle Sonics fans rally ahead of arena hearing
Mar 15, 2016, 2:27 PM | Updated: 8:29 pm
UW alumni and former Trailblazer Brandon Roy is among the common basketball threads between Seattle and Portland. (Jessamyn McIntyre, 710 ESPN Seattle)
(Jessamyn McIntyre, 710 ESPN Seattle)
Seattle officials have begun a series of public hearings and meetings on a potential new arena in the south downtown area. Many hope it leads to another sports team in town, others object to the idea.
A Seattle City Council committee on sustainability and transportation discussed the arena at its 2 p.m. meeting on March 15. The public hearing on the issue followed at 5:30 p.m. Supporters and critic flooded the council chambers to take their opportunity to speak on the matter. It took nearly three hours to get through the long list of residents taking their two minutes addressing the council.
Arena supporters also rallied at city hall in advance of the hearing. The rally drew basketball elite such as NBA and UW alumni Brandon Roy, NBA player and Seattle SuperSonics coach Lenny Wilkens and sports announcer Kevin Calabro.
Related: Critics, supporters clash over new Seattle arena
