The SoDo arena group wants to remind the public and the Seattle City Council of the status of their project to push forward review of their requested street vacation. They’d like you to help.
The Seattle City Council is back to work after a brief summer hiatus. The SoDo group would love if fans, and the general public, would share the latest updates and the benefits of the revised package offered in exchange for the vacation request with these elected city leaders.
On Tuesday, the group took to its social media channels to direct folks to a post from this past May following the April recommendation approvals for both the urban merit and the public benefits package by the Seattle Design Commission.
The street vacation request process then moved to the Seattle Department of Transportation to review and provide an overall recommendation to the city council. It has mired in limbo since.
Last month, it was revealed that the request had been put on a de facto indefinite hold as city executive resources were directed toward completing the draft Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed KeyArena redevelopment project being explored with Oak View Group.
The deadline set by the council for the draft MOU is in one week, September 12th.
To free the stalemate, the SoDo group offered the following message:
Now that the City Council is back from their summer recess, please take 5 minutes to watch this video on our Design Commission presentation and politely remind the Council to approve the conditional street vacation so SoDo Arena can be shovel ready. Also remind them that approving the vacation will in no way stop them from continuing to explore KeyArena options.
Council emails:
Bruce.harrell@seattle.gov
Lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov
Lisa.herbold@seattle.gov
Kshama.sawant@seattle.gov
Sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov
Rob.johnson@seattle.gov
Tim.burgess@seattle.gov
Debora.juarez@seattle.gov
Mike.obrien@seattle.gov
We encourage everyone to reach out to each of the councilmembers, just as we have, and respectfully request that they ask for SDOT to complete their recommendation and report on the street vacation. This will allow the council to have control over their portion of the vacation process.
Even if you’ve contacted them before, reach out again. This is a case where repetition is definitely a virtue.
Comments
I.am.ON.IT!
Thank you Matt
By cortone on 09.05.17 4:14pm
Literally depressing that the City thumb their
noses at such an incredible opportunity. Though I question whether it will have any real impact, I will certainly send my thoughts to the Council.
By itsanospreybich on 09.06.17 10:40am
C'mon, team. This is it. This is literally the LAST chance to stop the runaway train that is the Murray-Port-Times Key Project and choose Sodo, instead.
Speak now, or forever hold your peace….because there will not be an opportunity for input later (except for derailing the possible return of Sonics/NHL altogether).
#KeyOnTheBrink
#SodoNowOrNever
By Bizzquik on 09.06.17 10:46am
Why not try another tactic
The council views SoDo as a direct threat to Key Arena. So, thank them for their hard work on Key Arena and respectfully let them know that competition is never a bad thing and approving SoDo puts us in the best position to ensure the we get the NBA back?
By ksmith1984 on 09.06.17 3:55pm
Is there a reason the above video
does not work? Is that on purpose? I tried 3 different browsers.
We were told to watch the 5 minute video (I suppose to refresh our memories of the advantages of SODO) and then contact SCC. Maybe I have just lost all faith & patience.
I bow my hat to the hard core Sonics fans. This whole Seattle Process is too frustrating and illogical. A reasonable human being would stop checking in to this site only to be gut punched one more time.
By unknownn on 09.06.17 11:21pm
More preaching to the choir
Enough w/the social media only. Condense that thing to a minute and buy advertisement time during this Sunday’s Seahawks game. Put an information booth in every mall or Nordstrom store in the region. Reach the people who don’t already know every bit of that.
So on Sunday I was out at Alki wearing the yellow Make Seattle Super Again shirt that was sold and distributed before the 2016 alley vacation effort. At 2 separate places, I had people who professed to be Sonics fans tell me they loved my shirt and asked if that’s something that’s happening. I told them that it was from the 2016 effort, which they were oblivious to. One asked me if that was from when Ballmer was still part of it. They were also oblivious to what’s going on now, including the Key Arena effort. It was on me to explain it all, and naturally hear back how dumb it would be to forego SODO and screw w/Key. Then I had to inform them that the primary election in which some politician change that would’ve been good for the cause had already passed, with all of the pro-SODO candidates getting knocked out.
Long story short, Hansen’s group has not gotten their message out to people, even those who’d love to hear it and take up for it. Because of that failure, no elected official feels any pressure to do the right thing, when appeasing the other side can offer more personal benefit. I fear that this latest urging of loyal supporters to email the council will only reinforce to them, by really how relatively few emails they get, that this is not a movement they have to fear politically. And that’s what this really comes down to, not doing what’s right, but doing what is best for the decision-maker.
By Mr. Shea on 09.07.17 8:45am
And after that depressing post, I'll share a funny (?) story that also came from wearing a Sonics shirt that day
At dinner, a lady came up to play with my dog and instantly knew the Sonics reference of her name (Payton). Without any prompting, she offered that her dad used to own a gas station in Ballard, at which Shawn Kemp went in once "to buy malt liquor." Her dad carded him, per unwavering policy apparently, and after Shawn gave him the ID her dad went on to say what a big fan he was, which really aggravated Shawn in that he’d had to screw w/his ID when her dad absolutely knew who the 6’10" superstar at his counter was. He never went back to that gas station.
By Mr. Shea on 09.07.17 8:50am
Question:
Former Seattle native who now lives in Podunk Kansas wishes to send his thoughts. Think my opinion counts?
By Eternal Blue on 09.09.17 1:29pm
Will you ever travel back for family, friends, or old times' sake?
Tourism money is good for Seattle. Express away!
If nothing else, just point out that this looks really bad for Seattle’s leaders.
By cortone on 09.10.17 8:56am
I already do visit often.
Seattle Center is a regular destination, and it usually during sports season. I’d absolutely bring my basketball-obsessed cousins up with me to something at the Arena.
By Eternal Blue on 09.10.17 1:11pm