Seattle Growth Podcast: Impact of a Sonics Return - Finale (Ep. 11)

In its second season, the critically-acclaimed Seattle Growth Podcast has tackled the impact of a potential return of the Sonics on the city. Jeff Shulman, associate professor in marketing at UW’s Foster School of Business, hosts the podcast exploring and discussing the economic and population growth of the city of Seattle.

We’ve had the pleasure to feature this effort to educate citizens about the various issues surrounding the efforts to build a new arena and return the SuperSonics franchise to Seattle and the NBA.

Through the 11-week journey, Shulman has hoped to offer perspective on the team’s and arena’s effects on real estate, traffic, taxes, employment, and the overall community. He’s spoken in-depth with residents, business owners, academic experts, city leaders & officials, as well as former Sonics players and owners to help inform the discussion.

And now we come to the season finale.

Episode 11: Get the Arena You Want from the City

Last Wednesday, April 12th, was the deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the potential KeyArena renovation project. Yesterday, April 17th, was the first day the city council’s Select Committee on Civic Arenas met to discuss the two proposals submitted.

Shulman, along with leaders of the Sonics fan community in Seattle — including Sonics Rising — declared the day #SonicBoomDay! An opportunity to encourage fans and citizens to reach out to councilmembers to share their views on the arena process and offer their opinion on which project they support. We got the hashtag trending on Twitter and by all accounts it was a rousing success.

This final episode was recorded in anticipation of the event. Though it’s passed, I would remind and encourage you to continue to reach out to councilmembers to respectfully voice your support, your concerns, and your urging for a fair and honest review process.

In this episode, former council president Sally Clark, who played a significant role in negotiating and agreeing to the SoDo arena MOU in 2012, offers guidance on how fans can best communicate what they want to city leaders.

Shulman also reveals that, while he’s not a Sonics fan, he has been moved by the diverse group of people in the city who came together and were inspired by the Sonics.

There are a number of quotes from the various dignitaries Shulman has spoken with for the series on what the Sonics have meant to them.

Explore more from Episode 11: Get the Arena You Want from the City here.