Oak View Group is no longer the only group proposing a renovated KeyArena.
Chris Hansen, Wally Walker, Pete and Erik Nordstrom, and Russell Wilson have hired architecture group HOK (the same group that designed Sonics Arena) to renovate the Lower Queen Anne arena into a smaller concert venue.
The plan would create three venues within the space; a 6,200 seat indoor concert venue on one side, a 3,000 seat covered amphitheater on the the other that would flow out to the International Foundation, and a 500 seat theater. This was one of the suggestions posed in the AECOM report.
Unlike the OVG proposal, which proposed digging down 15 extra feet, the Sonics Arena plan would actually raise the floor. This would create more than 500 extra parking stalls below the arena. They believe that making KeyArena into a smaller venue ease the burden of traffic and parking and minimize the negative impacts in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. It would also ensure that KeyArena stays viable and that Seattle Center would remain a community asset.
The proposed plan would not go into effect until after a SoDo arena is built, leaving the possibility of KeyArena as an interim venue should a team be acquired beforehand. The plan, like the SoDo plan and the OVG plan, would be privately financed at an estimated cost of $90-100 million. The group has pledged to cover all construction costs, including overruns, as well as ongoing capital improvement costs. There would be no public subsidies aside from a ground lease on the arena site. There would also be a short-term waiver of admissions taxes should an NHL or NBA team play there during construction of the SoDo arena.
For more info, check out the post on sonicsarena.com.
Comments
I really like this concept
Still leaves a lot of questions about SoDo unanswered, but I like the bold move.
I’m curious if this moves the needle at all, though.
By Matt Tucker on 09.07.17 1:30pm
Yeah, very interest...
Where this could bring the greatest benefit (in my mind) is in the little guy. The little guy, as in, local arts and music. The renovated Key Arena, like the SoDo Arena would benefit professional sports and major concerts. I can see the community seeing this proposal as something that benefits local, smaller, artists and is less disruptive the the surrounding city center (I hear you Pottery NW). Also, this type of venue could tie-in quite interesting to a number of events at already happen at the Key with the outdoor concert venue.
I still think Hansen needs to show that he can find an NHL partner and a "whale" investor. If he can do both of those, it’s a game changer.
By ksmith1984 on 09.07.17 1:42pm
I agree he needs to show that he can work with an NHL
partner and reveal his whale, but how in the world could the City stand in his way by denying the street vacation now? If he says he needs the street vacation for those two pieces to fall into place, why would the City not help push the greatest arena deal in the history of arenas (might be an exaggeration but also might not be) across the finish line?
If nothing else, this should cause the City to become Hansen’s partner, not his obstacle.
By itsanospreybich on 09.07.17 1:49pm
There was two thigns Hansen needed to do
One get a NHL group and two show an alteranate Key arena plan.
He has take care of the second one now he needs to show the NHL Group.
By gstommylee on 09.07.17 1:52pm
and a 3rd one
Bring in a Whale for that 2b plus expansion fee for a NBA team.
By gstommylee on 09.07.17 1:55pm
The City should now be inclined to provide
Hansen every opportunity to add those investors, including approving the vacation of Occidental.
By itsanospreybich on 09.07.17 2:13pm
Eh
I still don’t think its a done thing for hansen. He needs to show a path to a NHL team and the $$$ to do it. He plenty of time to replace Balmer and get a NHL group.
By gstommylee on 09.07.17 2:15pm
If he says he needs the street vacation
to add those investors, how could the City not at least give him that chance? How could they stand in the way of two major development projects in their city?
In a time where Amazon is looking outside Seattle for its new 2nd headquarters, partly due to the City’s unfavorable attitude towards businesses, it may behoove them to show they are willing to accommodate large ventures such as Hansen’s.
Where’s Leiweke’s path to the NBA?
By itsanospreybich on 09.07.17 2:25pm
No idea
Probably cause the NBA doesn’t want Leiweke do reveal them? (shrug)
By gstommylee on 09.07.17 2:32pm
Obstacles
If those are the only obstacles it would already be a done deal
By jdb222 on 09.09.17 5:38am
Perhaps that's around the corner
We’ll just have to see…..
By snovalleyhockeyfan on 09.07.17 1:55pm
This has to be a game changer
How could it not be?
By Styles McFly on 09.07.17 3:01pm
Welll...
coughSCCcough
By cortone on 09.07.17 3:04pm
SCC
Completely backed into a corner now can’t wait to see how they slither out of this now.
By Styles McFly on 09.07.17 3:07pm
They won't slither.
They will move forward with OVG, and act like it’s the right call, plain and simple. And people who have been paying attention will be mad at them, and say how fucking stupid it is, but the vast majority of the somnambulant public will shrug and move on.
By harkening on 09.12.17 9:18am
Not saying it isn't
But it leaves open a number of questions that could prevent it from being a game changer. It still doesn’t answer where the money comes from, when a team might become available, and when an arena would be built.
By Matt Tucker on 09.07.17 3:05pm
Does anyone here believe
That if SoDo is allowed to be built that the NBA/NHL will just ignore it and let it still there?
By Styles McFly on 09.07.17 3:08pm
not many, but they're out there
gstommylee, here’s your cue
By cortone on 09.07.17 3:10pm
Yeah, but
it doesn’t matter what we believe. It matters what the council considers feasible. And it might be some information they want to know before they decide to approve the street vacation. In a wait-and-see situation like that, I’m not sure I’d bet against the council being able to outlast.
By Matt Tucker on 09.07.17 3:19pm
The mere fact that Hansen released this...
Tells me he sees where the pitfalls currently are and is working to address them. I wounder if this is just a first act aimed at answering the final concerns.
If someone like Deborah Frausto of the Uptown Alliance jumped on board in support of this type of remodel rather than OVGs, it could be a game changer. How could Sally Bagshaw still cry about looking out for the Seattle Center when her own constituents support the Hansen proposals?
If you couple those actions with local community groups such as the lower-queene anne
By ksmith1984 on 09.07.17 3:11pm
Another interesting wrinkle in all of this
Is how much the group would have to be involved in traffic mitigation efforts at that site as well? Sure, it’s less traffic attending than if it’s the primary arena, but again there are urban framework considerations that might still be impacted.
By Matt Tucker on 09.07.17 3:23pm
Well Hansen just has to say monorail and drones and he is good right?
I mean if that is what it takes to past muster for a full fledged pro sports arena, then surely a smaller venue should work…hell theoretically with the mighty monorail…drones might not even be necessary.
By Trolltossin on 09.07.17 3:36pm
Oh and an app...definitely gonna need an app.
Probably need a Android and IPhone compatible app…
By Trolltossin on 09.07.17 3:37pm
Actually, Mr. Simpleton,
traffic at Key Arena is a common misconception. While there certainly is traffic there, it’s all going away from the arena, so your commute will be utterly unaffected (via the OVG website).
By itsanospreybich on 09.07.17 3:46pm
The historic nature of the parking garages does make the point of the escalation of KeyArena problematic.
By Mike Baker on 09.07.17 3:39pm