The mastermind behind a failed plan to build a new NBA arena in the Seattle neighborhood of Sodo has tweaked the plan and come back to the negotiating table. A big question still waiting for an answer: Will the NBA will expand to return to the city?
Art Thiel reports: "Chris Hansen agreed [recently] to do what liberal Seattle has wanted him to do for five years: agree to fund privately his $500 million proposed basketball/hockey arena in Sodo, which he hopes will return the NBA, eight years gone, to his hometown." Hansen made that new official when he sent a letter to Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine asking for a re-hearing of the project, which originally came with a $200 million request for public money.
This time, however, Hansen, a San Francisco-based hedge fund manager, promised to drop that request and even potentially "kick in perhaps as much as $20 million to the proposed Lander Street Bridge project, long sought by the Port of Seattle, the arena’s principal opponent."
Plans for an NBA arena last crossed the national planning newswire in May 2015, when the Seattle City Council rejected a plan to give part of Occidental Avenue South, in the neighborhood of Sodo, to Hansen for the proposed arena. Samantha Bee even noticed the uncivil nature of the debate over the previous proposal.
The proposal now hinges largely on whether the city has expect to attract an expansion team to the city—relocation is unlikely with all NBA teams currently making money in their current homes.
FULL STORY: Seattle may get a new arena, no taxpayer money required
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis
SROs are making a comeback under a new name as the housing supply remains strained and costs soar.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
Indian States Give Women Free Bus Passes
The programs are part of an initiative aimed at helping more women join the workforce and improving access to basic needs.
Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis
A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.