UPDATE: DRAFT EIS NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING - SEE BELOW

Today, August 15, 2013, is the day that the draft version of the Environmental Impact Statement on the SoDo location for the proposed Sonics Arena is due to be released. While we are still several months from a completed environmental analysis required by the state's SEPA process, this draft should give us a strong indication of the factors that will need to be mitigated in order to make the new arena a reality. Barring anything catastrophic, which if it were the case rumors would likely already have been surfacing, it's fair to assume that the environmental assessment should show mostly positive aspects for moving forward.

The draft EIS should also include preliminary findings on the alternate locations, the KeyArena site and the Memorial Stadium site, both at the Seattle Center, as well as feedback on the alternate option of no action on this project. There's no word on if supplemental economic impact studies will be included in this draft.

In any case, we should have some pretty clear directions shortly on what it will take to get the arena up and running. It's all somewhat dry but this is both an important and significant day in the process.

It's Draft EIS Day, baby!

TO VIEW THE DRAFT EIS:

Go to this website to download:

http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/edms/

project ID: 3014195