Seattle arena investor to pay for SoDo traffic study

After the Mariners and the Port of Seattle expressed
concerns over another arena in the SoDo neighborhood
because it will create a traffic nightmare, investor Chris
Hansen announced he will fund a traffic study himself.

“There are constituencies with valid concerns and rather
than try to come up with a bunch of answers today, our
commitment is to try to really understand the traffic
issues immediately surrounding our site and broader SoDo
area, as well,” Hansen said in a news conference on
Thursday.

Hansen will fund the traffic study to help determine the
impact of a new arena that would host NBA and NHL teams,
but he’ll work alongside the City of Seattle and King
County on the project.

“Mr. Hansen has told us that he will commit to fund a
study,
a transportation access and parking, a multimodal study
that looks at all forms of mobility,” said King County
Executive
Dow Constantine.

In a letter addressed to the city and
county, Mariners chairman and
CEO Howard Lincoln cited logistical concerns as reasons
why SoDo wouldn’t be the right neighborhood for a new
arena.

Lincoln said the Mariners already work very closely with
the Seahawks and the Sounders to avoid overlapping events,
which creates traffic and parking challenges.

“What we hear more from our fans than anything else is how
hard it can be to get to the ballpark with the traffic
jams and the gridlock we have already,” said Armstrong.
“If you plop another venue down there with 200 event days
per year, we just have some serious concerns about how
that will all be scheduled.”

Hansen added that his goal isn’t to cause problems with
other Seattle sports teams.

“At the end of the day, I’m also a Seahawks, Sounders, and
Mariners fan,” he said. “I think we all want a good
solution for coming to games down in this area.”

The Port of Seattle also said
keeping trains and trucks moving through the area won’t be
easy with thousands of more vehicles on nearby roadways.

Hansen wouldn’t reveal how much the study costs, but “it’s
safe to say that I’m paying for it, so it’s an obligation
that’s not falling on the city,” he said.

The Mariners say they’re “happy” to hear of the study and
are supportive of the process.

“We look forward to participating in the study, offering
our experience and our expertise and helping find a
solution that works for everyone.”

An advisory committee reviewing the proposal for the new
arena has determined Hansen’s plan is “solid” and
worth
pursuing.

“We believe that it is a solid proposal that is worth
taking forward for further study and input,” said former
Seattle City Council member Jan Drago, co-chair of the
Arena Advisory Committee.

The panel of local business and civic leaders was tasked
with determining whether the city of Seattle and King
County should move forward on the proposal for a new arena
south of Safeco Field that has been estimated to cost
between $450 and $500 million.

The group’s primary focus was assessing risk to taxpayers
and the feasibility of Hansen’s proposal, which includes
$290 million in private investment. The city and county
would contribute $200 million, which would be repaid
through taxes and rent generated by the arena.

Hansen would also own the NBA team under an agreement, but
not the NHL team.

“Based on the review, the panel believes that the proposal
is favorable, has promise and is generally consistent with
the principles set forth by the mayor and the county
executive,” said Drago.

MyNorthwest.com’s Josh Kerns contributed to this
report.