USAToday.com : Seattle mayor still eyeing NBA’s return
Posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 9:03 am by Mr. Baker (thinking good thoughts for George Karl))
Reported by AP reporter Gregg Bell, Seattle mayor Greg Nickels stated that he has sent a proposal to Washington state lawmakers requesting funding for a renovation of Key Arena. The request should be part of the next legislative session in January.
“We’ll be going to the Legislature in their next session” beginning in January, Nickels said Monday at a ceremony inside KeyArena to announce Seattle University will be using it when the school returns to Division I basketball this season for the first time since 1980.
Nickels said Seattle will ask for state authorization to divert 1 percent of the existing hotels tax in Seattle from the convention and visitors bureau to the city. He said the convention center no longer needs that revenue and the city should get it.
“Those funds (would be) available for an NBA franchise,” he said.
They potentially could generate enough money to back $75 million in bonds - the missing piece in a $300 million arena renovation plan proposed by Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer. Ballmer’s group would contribute $150 million, and another $75 million would be culled in city dollars from other sources.
In a statement immediately after the Sonics and Seattle settled their lease dispute in July, which allowed the team to move to Oklahoma City, NBA commissioner David Stern said the league would assist in helping Seattle acquire a new team if state lawmakers approve a KeyArena remodel before the end of 2009.
“We think the door is open there,” Nickels said Monday. “We feel like there’s a working relationship possible there.”
. . .
Even though Seattle’s latest plan asks for far less, legislative leaders aren’t thrilled the NBA and now Seattle officials are trying to force a 2009 deadline upon them.“It’s not going to work, with these 147 individually elected members of the state Legislature, to threaten them and bully them,” House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said in July. “God love the fans, but we have a state to run. And I think the city of Seattle, they have to go out and make their case to the state.”
The city, as I have been saying forever, has to educate and communicate with people like Kessler that are existing in a low information world.
From the Seattle Times, in the story about Seattle U playing basketball games in key Arena:
“We’re beginning that process of getting back to exciting basketball at KeyArena,” Nickels said. “Seattle has been a great basketball town for a long time even before the Sonics. So we think this will keep that tradition alive, and we’ll see what happens in the next couple of years.”
Since agreeing to a $45 million settlement with the then-Sonics’ owners, Nickels said the city hasn’t had contact with the NBA about returning to Seattle. He also said there’s been no significant progress toward a proposed $300 million KeyArena renovation.
“We’ve had some conversations with [state lawmakers], but obviously they’re all focused on the elections that’s two weeks from [Tuesday],” Nickels said. “We’ll really be veering up between then and when the session begins in January.
“We’re going to do everything we can to educate the legislators to the importance of this arena and the importance of having that dedicated revenue available should another NBA team become available.”
Seattle University off on fast break
, Percy Allen, Seattle Times.
Have a great day,
Mr Baker
Sent from my iPhone
Originally posted on my blog
Seattle Center Arena Reboot
October 21st, 2008 at 9:17 am
FU NICKELS!!!! UR A FFNN SELLOUT!!!
October 21st, 2008 at 9:43 am
These quotes from certain people in our legislature are just crazy. Sorry to hear that the legislators in our state feel like they are being threatened when it comes to doing something about the Key Arena and the Sonics. How about getting something done for a change?
October 21st, 2008 at 10:07 am
I take positives from these articles. The city is talking publicly about working with lawmakers before the legislative session begins and is specifically referring to the need to educate and inform them about the plan.
Also, the comments from Lynn Kessler aren’t putting down the proposal in any way. She is just saying that putting the pressure of a deadline created by the city upon them isn’t going to make the legislature feel any pressure.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:08 am
“It’s not going to work, with these 147 individually elected members of the state Legislature, to threaten them and bully them,” House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said in July. “God love the fans, but we have a state to run. And I think the city of Seattle, they have to go out and make their case to the state.”
How did this person become House Majority? Nothing has changed. They still don’t get it. Last time I check they can’t even run the state. Time for a change.
October 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Brian has said a few times that the city needs to lobby sooner and more. Kessler’s comments prove that out.
If you can sell Kessler then I think it is a done deal.
You would have to get Ballmer to commit to a 20 year lease. Let Ballmer have an out clause sooner to allow the team to move into a new arena in the city sooner and pay that state the difference.
Make this a 20 year lease and the state gets all of its money back, and more, 90 million.
Accoding to Rossi:
The county’s share of the cost would be $75 million. Much of that money would be recouped by the state:
· Over $20 million would be collected in state sales tax from the $300 million renovation of the Key Arena.
· Approximately $25 million over 10 years through sales and B&O taxes on Sonics-related operations.
http://theseattlesupersonics.blogspot.com/2008/03/dino-rossi-supports-key-arena-fwd-tell.html
October 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
i don’t think it’s just the city that needs to lobby. the city needs our help. if i had it my way, we’d have save our sonics booths at husky/seahawks and whatever other sporting events might attract people. i think a petition from citizens could be persuasive to the government. if we acompany that with the plan from the city/ballmer’s group/ and payton’s group, it may be hard to say no.
right now i don’t care what nickels did in july, the fact is that he is one of the few politicians publicly saying that he wants this plan to go through. we cna use him as a resource.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
What is hard about this?
You renovate the Key, you either get a new basketball team or you get $30 million dollars.
You don’t, you get jack.
The Key would need to be renovated for concerts anyways, that place is abismal when it comes to acoustics.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Someone (I’m thinking Payton) needs to go into that legislature and say “Look. Keyarena sucks. It sucks as a basketball venue, it sucks as a concert venue, it sucks on a lot of levels. Even if the Sonics never come back, it needs some work. If we renovate it, we either get a new basketball team, which will draw lots of revenue, or we get $30 million from Clay Bennett. If we don’t renovate it, we get dick. And more tours and more conventions and more events will pass over Seattle because we don’t have a worthy venue. So we get even more dick. So the choice is yours. Do you want the possibility of lots of revenue from basketball games, concerts, conventions, etc. with the plan B being no basketball team, but an extra $30 million along with said revenue from concerts, conventions, etc.? Or do you want dick?”
October 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
This is a limited use pool of money that doesn’t have an end date anymore.
how about the fact that the tax that was supposed to expire on January 1st, 2021 isn’t. It s going to keep going into a pool for stadiums and exhibition centers.
Or, the tax that was set to expire in 2015 now runs through 2020 and goes into a pool for stadiums and exhibition centers, and portion going to arts and cultural activities in counties of population of 1 million or more.
How about the law has changed and we just have to decide where to spend it, and it CAN NOT be spent on schools (see page 6)
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202008/6638.SL.pdf
A vote was taken, the law was made, it went into effect on July 1.
October 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
If we renovate it, we either get a new basketball team, which will draw lots of revenue, or we get $30 million from Clay Bennett.
Incorrect. The $30M is only if you approve funding for a possible renovation, but don’t end up with a team nor a renovation.
October 21st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Notice
“It’s not going to work, with these 147 individually elected members of the state Legislature”
“with these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
So that means Vote against all standing elected officials. ACROSS THE BOARD. Lose the Sonics Lose you job!!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
dead ball foul Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
“”If we renovate it, we either get a new basketball team, which will draw lots of revenue, or we get $30 million from Clay Bennett.”
Incorrect. The $30M is only if you approve funding for a possible renovation, but don’t end up with a team nor a renovation.”
Dick, TB said “..if we renovate it..” which assumes that funding was approved for a possible renovation. Therefore TB’s statement is correct.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Kessler is such an f*ing mouthpiece “we have a state to run” what a f*cking stupid biaatch.
But whoever said we have to educate her was dead on.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:54 pm
educate her with the back of a hand
October 21st, 2008 at 8:16 pm
He’s just posturing to back Gregoire.
Too little, too late for her due to this liar.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I hold no hope as long as the current state politicians are in power. Nickels means nothing as far as this thing is concerned. We already learned that. He was behind the last plan, and a lot of good that did us. As long as Chopp and his buddies are around, professional basketball will not exist in Seattle. Doesn’t matter who the Governor is either. As we learned with Gregoire, the governor isn’t the one with the power in this state. This is a non-story. There is no developments making headway for a Sonics return. The last few hopeful articles on this site have been about the Mayor being for the Sonics returning (nothing new), Ballmer still being interested if the right deal comes along (again, nothing new), and GP talking out his ass about wanting to bring a team back here (Gary doesn’t live in our world of WA st politicians). So yeah. F the NBA. It’s about to start up and I could seriously give a sh!t about the season. For the first time in years I didn’t follow offseason transactions. I don’t even know who is on what team anymore. Any NBA article on ESPN.com I ignore. And I used to be a HUGE NBA/Sonics fan. Just imagine how little people who didn’t used to be die-hards give a crap now. And how much less they will care as the years go by. RIP Seattle pro basketball & the Seattle Supersonics. It was fun while it lasted. Now excuse me as I go watch some sh!tty pro and college football, and anticipate the next season of sh!tty baseball.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
“So yeah. F the NBA. It’s about to start up and I could seriously give a sh!t about the season. For the first time in years I didn’t follow offseason transactions. I don’t even know who is on what team anymore. Any NBA article on ESPN.com I ignore. And I used to be a HUGE NBA/Sonics fan”
exactly the same way i feel.
i have my fingers crossed though that somehow this will get done.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 am
Is the hotel tax the City is targeting a state tax collected in the city of Seattle or is it a City tax?
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:55 am
Dick, TB said “..if we renovate it..” which assumes that funding was approved for a possible renovation. Therefore TB’s statement is correct.
TB also said,
with the plan B being no basketball team, but an extra $30 million along with said revenue from concerts, conventions, etc.?
That indicates an assumption that the renovation would happen even if a team didn’t come, which is incorrect.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:52 pm
DT said:
“TB also said,
with the plan B being no basketball team, but an extra $30 million along with said revenue from concerts, conventions, etc.?
That indicates an assumption that the renovation would happen even if a team didn’t come, which is incorrect.”"
I don’t think it matters (nor is he saying it matters) if the renovation occurs or not. His point is that we need to get the damn funding for a f’ng remodel or other arena because if we don’t we get no chance for a team. But if we get the funding this year, and no team, we still get the $30 mil. It’s a no-brainer. That’s his point.
I’m sure you have a good point man, I’m just totally not getting it.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Ok, i’ll try one more time, lol.
His comment about the concert revenues indicate he thinks approving the funding means the remodel will happen, team or no team, which is incorrect.
I get your point, but that’s not totally his point, which was my point. It’s not really a good point, but a point nonetheless.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
DBF is right. i was under the assumption that you get approved for funding, you get funding.
i was unaware that the approval of funding would be contingent on getting a team. i figured that was something that would be decided when they actually do (or don’t) approve funding.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
It is possible that funding contingent on a team could be approved but that is not likely to be in the ask. There are concerns that conditional funding could be legally contested by Clay Bennett as reason to not pay the $50M.
They are going to request the $75M as funds allocated towards Seattle Center and is needed renovations. If we get a team they will go towards the public, non-basketball portions of key arena. If we don’t get a team then they go towards a yet to be determined upgrade of the center that could be key Arena, the fun forest, parking, or some other general improvements that are sorely needed.