Seattle Sonics Arena Environmental Impact Statement has been released

Today, the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) made available the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sonics Arena. We are wading through it.

We are excited, and it is mammoth 627 page document.

the web page is here!

The EIS has been posted in sections:

• • Seattle Arena Final Environmental Impact Statement
  • Seattle Arena Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendix E
  • Seattle Arena Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendices F & G

Read answers to frequently asked questions.

The Next Steps

We will follow up with our reading of it, as well as any comments that should be coming from the City of Seattle, King County, and Chris Hansen.

King County and Seattle councils will assess the the EIS, have meetings, take public comment, and vote. Their options are "no action", the SoDo site, and two locations north of SoDo at Seattle Center.

Sonics Arena EIS SoDo map (image: City of Seattle)

Chris Hansen's preferred location is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood (above).

Sonics Arena EIS Seattle Center map (image: City of Seattle)

Two other alternatives in the EIS are both located at Seattle Center (above). The one on the left is KeyArena, and the one on the right is Memorial Stadium.

Should the councils vote yes, and approve the vacation (elimination) of Occidental Street, the request for the approval for the arena would go to Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine. I expect them to approve. The DPD will then issue a Master Use Permit.

We would then need NBA and NHL franchises.

Right Now I invite you fine folks to join me in pulling it apart and commenting on what we see.

The DEIS, as well as the different requests of revisions for correction from the DPD to Chris Hansen's group, are posted documents are posted [here] (click the link on the page for Documents).

Go Sonics!