Seattle Forward

Full Council Arena Street Vacation Vote

The Full Council did not approve the conditional street vacation of Occidental Avenue South for the proposed arena project by a vote of 4-5 yesterday (Bagshaw, Herbold, Sawant, Juarez and González voting no; Harrell, O’Brien, Johnson and myself voting yes). This vote is a major disappointment for those who hope to bring an NBA team back to Seattle; at a minimum, the Council’s decision yesterday sets this effort back.

I voted in favor of the conditional street vacation both in committee and at the Full Council meeting yesterday. I explained my committee vote in this earlier post.

When determining my position, it was important to me that the street vacation would have been conditional on many factors. Most notably, the street would have been vacated only for the proposed arena project. It could not have been vacated for a large office complex, even though that use is permitted on the parcels on either side of Occidental Ave S. It also would have been conditioned on a detailed scheduling coordination agreement we asked the arena proponents and other major teams to work out together.

Per Council policy, the street vacation would have lasted for five years, but the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved in 2012 that commits partial public financing of this project expires in November, 2017. After the expiration of the MOU in late 2017, any arena construction would have needed to be completely privately financed. If an arena was not constructed by 2021, the opportunity for a street vacation would have expired.

My colleagues who voted the opposite way based their opposition on concerns about traffic impacts and the proposed arena’s effect on maritime jobs. While I respect my colleagues’ decision, I saw no convincing evidence to back up these claims. In fact, the city’s traffic engineers and the professional consultants the city hired assured us the traffic impacts could be mitigated.

SODO Arena Street Vacation Committee Vote

The City Council’s Transportation Committee voted 4-1 (O’Brien, Johnson, Harrell and myself voting “yes,” Bagshaw voting “no”) this week on whether or not to approve a conditional street vacation on Occidental Ave S in SODO. A street vacation is a formal process where the City Council decides whether or not to grant public right-of-way in exchange for fair market value and other public benefits.

This street vacation has been sought as part of a proposal to build an arena for basketball and hockey teams. After proposing several amendments to strengthen the conditions of the vacation, I voted to approve the vacation. Here’s why.

Media Coverage on Arena

There was media coverage over the weekend about the proposed SODO arena and I want to provide some context for my comments.

The City, King County and the Hansen group have a legally binding agreement related to the SODO arena. That agreement includes a list of prerequisites that must be met before the public financing dollars become available. The original MOU remains in place and its terms are actionable if the prerequisites are met.

One of those prerequisites is the awarding of an NBA franchise to Seattle. (Section 24-d, page 34 of MOU) Everything we have read and heard indicates that this is not likely in the near future, so people have asked about alternative paths.

Some have asked whether the City would change the agreement to allow the Arena to proceed upon the award of an NHL team to Seattle. Shifting the agreement to accommodate an NHL team would be a material change in the terms of the agreement and, in my opinion, would require a substantial reduction or elimination of public financing. Such a change would also require County Council approval.

The original agreement was written to require the presence of an NBA team because not having an NBA team increased the financial risk to the City and County. 

Response to NBA Decision

The NBA’s decision today is very disappointing to me and the thousands of Sonics fans in our city. I remain hopeful that Seattle can once again be home to NBA basketball in the coming years. Chris Hansen and his partners have displayed amazing commitment in their efforts to secure a team for Seattle’s fans. The City’s role has always been to prepare for a team should one be available. We will be prepared.

Oh, Yeah! Here Come the Sonics

Chris Hansen's announcement this morning is fantastic news and a huge win for Seattle and our entire region. Throughout our Council work to improve the proposal, Chris Hansen negotiated fairly and has kept his word. He is doing exactly what he told us he would do—working to return NBA basketball to Seattle. There is more work ahead, but this is a giant leap toward bringing the Sonics back home to Seattle.

I was privileged to lead the Council's review of the Mayor's initial arena proposal and insisted on significant changes in the agreement to improve public benefits, including:

• Stronger legal and financial protections for the city and county governments.
• Reduction in the inherent risks of this type of public-private partnership.
• Creation of a transportation fund with $40 million in initial funding for SODO freight and pedestrian mobility improvements.

After the Council committee negotiated a revised memorandum of agreement with Hansen, the full City Council approved it by a 7-2 vote on October 12, 2012 (Ordinance 124019).

Read my previous posts on the SODO arena and Sonics here.

The Future of Seattle Center (and Key Arena too)

In its 50^th year, Seattle Center is one of our city’s greatest treasures. And it has suddenly captured a lot of renewed attention because of Chris Hansen’s proposed new sports and entertainment arena in SODO. This attention is a good thing. It focuses the City on the challenges and opportunities we currently face at Seattle Center.

Seattle Center is a place visited by millions of people every year, a mixing place for all ages, cultures, races and interests.

Revised Arena Agreement Passes Committee

Last Thursday afternoon the Government Performance and Finance Committee voted 7-0 (with one abstention) to approve the revised agreement to build a new sports and entertainment facility. The legislation will be considered by the Full Council on Monday, Sept. 24. Below is the text of a newsletter I sent out on Tuesday about the details of the revised agreement negotiated with Chris Hansen.

SODO Arena Discussions Continuing

Since the Council's July 30, 2012 letter to Chris Hansen, our staff and lawyers have been involved in conversations with Mr. Hansen. These discussions are continuing in a fruitful manner. We will continue our deliberations of the legislative package as quickly as possible, but a matter of this significance requires very careful and thorough consideration.

As a result, the proposed arena is not on the agenda for this Wednesday's Government Performance and Finance Committee meeting. The Committee will consider the arena legislation again in September.

Continuing the Arena Discussion

A majority of Seattle City Councilmembers signed a letter today to investor Chris Hansen, continuing discussions regarding modifications to the proposed agreement for a sports and entertainment arena in SoDo. The letter outlines areas of concern in the current proposal and states the City Council’s desire to address these concerns before moving forward with a final agreement. The full text of the letter is available here.

SODO Arena, Crime, Seawall Ballot, Northgate and More

Get the latest on the proposed SODO Arena, street crime, the Elliott Bay seawall ballot measure, Northgate and more on the new edition of the Seattle Channel's City Inside/Out: Council Edition. Councilmembers Nick Licata, Jean Godden and I share our perspectives.