Oak View Group
The Oak View Group is spearheaded by none other than Tim Leiweke who has a long and healthy resume working for NBA and NHL clubs. Most notably he was the CEO and President of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, the parent organization of the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports.
Their proposal:
- Cost of Project: $564M
- Square Footage: 660,000
- NBA Capacity: 18,350
- NHL Capacity: 17,100
- Public Financing: None
Seattle Partners
- Cost of Project: $520M
- Square Footage: 600,000
- NBA Capacity: 18,113
- NHL Capacity: 17,120
- Public Financing: $250M in public bonding (They have recently backed off on this “suggestion,” so it is unclear the current state of this piece of the response)
Summaries
What is next?
My Take
Both proposals look promising and would appear to be able to bring the NHL to Seattle and bring the Sonics back as well. People still seemed concerned about traffic and parking but it is a very subjective piece to measure. Especially when you consider the traffic patterns will be shifting once the 99 tunnel is completed and the 2 additional streets open up. Additionally, the density is changing while car ownership decreases in more urban areas. How the Mayor & City Council weigh all the pros and cons of KeyArena is anyone’s guess. I appreciate the evaluation criteria but it seems very unclear on how it all comes together. The hope is that one of these options will be recommended to the City Council. One thing is for sure, it is going to be a busy 3 months.
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