Arena

    Application and $10 million fee submitted to NHL

    SPNW StaffBy Updated:16 Comments2 Mins Read
    In December, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan displayed a proto-NHL Seattle jersey at a press conference at City Hall,  joined by City Council members Debora Juarez, Bruce Harrell and Rob Johnson, after an agreement was reached with Oak View Group. / Art Thiel, Sportspress Northwest

    Prospective purchasers of an NHL expansion team in Seattle, filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer and investment banker David Bonderman, submitted Tuesday their application and a required $10 million fee, signaling the formal opening of the pursuit of a team for the 2020-21 season.

    Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan tweeted the news:

    The move had been anticipated, but is not a guarantee of a team. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in December his decision to consider an application was the first of several steps as the NHL pursues a 32nd team.

    “That doesn’t mean we have granted an expansion team,” Bettman said at the time. “We have agreed as a league to take and consider an expansion application and to let them run in the next few months a season ticket drive.”

    A KeyArena renovated with $600 million in private funds obtained by the Oak View Group of Los Angeles would house the team, and would be a premier hall for concerts. The NBA, which abandoned Seattle in 2008, has no plans for expansion.

    The NHL set the expansion fee at $650 million, $150 million more than was paid by Bill Foley, owner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. His investment is having some early payoff  — the Knights’ 76 points lead the Pacific Division and are second most in the NHL (standings).

    The likely next step is a season-ticket drive, in which fans are asked to make deposits as a show of faith. In Las Vegas, the ownership group in 2015 hit its target of 10,000 within about a month.

    A state-required environmental impact statement is underway for the renovation plan, which is estimated to take most of 2018. If all goes well, a two-year construction plan begins with a teardown of everything under the building’s roof, which is required to be preserved.

     

     

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    <span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2238848 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2238848">16 Comments

    2. jafabian on

      Still has a ways to go before all this becomes a reality but at least there’s progress going forward.

    3. Kirkland on

      I cannot support this team as long as it’s in this inaccessible part of town, and as long as Leiwicke is involved. He rips Hansen for the Sacramento election maneuver, but glosses over Ed Murray’s multiple molestation charges. If anybody buys season tickets. From this guy, I sincerely hope nobody in your family has been sexually molested.

    4. Theyfinallyfiredcable on

      “Key Arena … would be a premier hall for concerts.”

      Pphhpptt .. Please . It’s a horrible place for a concert , and still would be after ‘renovation’ . They already ‘renovated’ it once before – years ago – and it was even worse afterwords then when it was the old Colosseum . The sound in there is horrible , the chairs are like torture and the sightlines are terrible .

      Oh wait , we were talking hockey . I saw the phrase “premier concert hall” and had to urp up a little ..

      • art thiel on

        True that it’s been terrible. But no one has ever thrown a chunk of $600M at the problem. Live Nation is a partner with OVG, and if the audio isn’t top-tier, the suits and their lawyers will be litigating until the Third Millennium.

    5. Ken S. on

      What a surprise! The worst area of Seattle when it comes to traffic is the Center. And it isn’t going to get any better. I think the city would have better luck coming up with a solution for the Mercer Weave. And good luck luring the NBA back to the Center – ain’t gonna happen.