Former mayor and current mayoral candidate Mike McGinn sat down to speak with UW professor Jeff Shulman of the Seattle Growth Podcast about growth in the city during his time as mayor and what challenges and opportunities he sees for the future.

The discussion naturally turns to a new arena in Seattle and his support of the SoDo arena.

In its second season, the critically-acclaimed Seattle Growth Podcast tackles the impact of a potential return of the Sonics on the city. Host Jeff Shulman, associate professor in marketing at UW’s Foster School of Business, explores and discusses the economic and population growth of the city of Seattle.

The 11-episode journey hopes to offer perspective on the team’s and arena’s effects on real estate, traffic, taxes, employment, and the overall community. SGP speaks in-depth with residents, business owners, academic experts, city leaders & officials, as well as former Sonics players and owners to help inform the discussion.

We present the full series in an 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.

Listen to Seattle Growth Podcast: Impact of a Sonics Return here

Seattle Growth Podcast Extra: A Former Mayor’s Perspective on Seattle Growth

In this special episode, Shulman speaks with Mike McGinn on the past, present, and future of growth in Seattle. He offers perspective from his time in office from 2010 to 2013. He also looks at challenges ahead for the new mayor, which he’s hoping to be.

The discussion naturally turns to a new arena in Seattle (~19:25) and his support of SoDo arena. He shares his views on the KeyArena proposal and comparing the two, and the role he would play if the council selects KeyArena and he is elected mayor.

Guests for the episode include:

• Taylor Graham, Vice President of Business Operations, Seattle Sounders FC
• Chris DeVore, Managing Director Techstars Seattle, a startup accelerator, and Managing Director of Founders Co-Op, a seed-stage venture capital investment fund
• Maggie Walker, founding partner, Seattle Venture Partners
• Brian Bonlender, Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce

Explore more from Seattle Growth Podcast Extra: A Former Mayor’s Perspective on Seattle Growth here.