Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended by a central scaffolding as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction equipment hangs from a crane as work continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Members of a media tour walk through the mud, Monday, as construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
A media tour walks through the site as construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
OGV-Seattle construction executive Ken Johnsen explains how the rebar supports for the 44-million pound roof were cut during a major renovation to KeyArena, Sept. 16, 2019. The $930 million new arena is essentially being constructed under the floated roof, which has historical landmark status.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
A large central scaffolding supports the 44-million pound roof of KeyArena as construction continues on the $930 million project, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Ken Johnsen, left, a construction executive at OVG-Seattle, and Greg Huber, project director, stand in front of exposed rebar that has been cut from one of the supports for the 44-million pound roof overhead during a major renovation of the building to become an NHL hockey team site, during a tour for media members Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The $930 million new arena is essentially being constructed under the roof, which has historical landmark status.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
OGV-Seattle construction executive Ken Johnsen explains how the rebar supports for the 44-million pound roof were cut during a major renovation to KeyArena, Sept. 16, 2019. The $930 million new arena is essentially being constructed under the roof, which has historical landmark status.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
OGV-Seattle executive Ken Johnsen, second from left, speaks with members of the media as construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Construction continues on the new arena at Seattle Center, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. The 44-million pound roof of the arena is suspended as the new arena is built underneath.Genna Martin/seattlepi.com
Work continued Monday to make KeyArena fit for an NHL team -- underneath a roof that was no longer supported from the ground by a permanent structure.
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Instead, it balanced on a large central piece of scaffolding, floating above the dirt pit which will eventually become the new arena at Seattle Center. More scaffolding was seen around the edge of the roof, suspended above crews working below.
KeyArena's roof has historical landmark status, and will top the new $930 million arena when it's complete. But that's the only piece of the old arena that will stay.
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"Many people still think this is a renovation," NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke explained in an April news conference. "It's not a renovation. We're maintaining a historic roof, but this is a brand-new building under that historic roof."
The new stadium will hold about 17,300 hockey fans. Its bowl shape is intended to maximize a sense of intimacy.
Crews still need to dig down about 15 feet (or up to 60 feet in some places) before construction on the new arena can begin. Seattle's new NHL team is expected to play there starting in fall of 2021.
