Public faces city, county councils on Sodo arena

There were so many green and yellow jerseys Thursday at Seattle's City Hall that Lee Newgent thought it was the old days at KeyArena.

"When I stood in line today, I thought I was waiting for a Sonics game," said Newgent, executive secretary of the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council, during a packed joint hearing between the city and King County councils on a proposal to build a new basketball/hockey arena in Sodo.

About 500 people packed Thursday's joint session to offer testimony for or against the $490 million arena proposal. Hedge fund manager Chris Hansen has offered $290 million in private money if the city and county will commit up to $200 million.

The $200 million accrued from bonds would be paid with a tax on admissions and concessions, as well as rent paid by the ownership team. But there are questions about how an arena in Sodo would impact traffic and operations at the Port of Seattle, a major job generator, or how expensive it would be to make improvements necessary to accommodate an arena.

"You guys have been handed the golden ticket by Chris Hansen and his group," said Kyle Anderson, who described himself as a lifelong Sonics fan. "What happened here with the Sonics is a scar on the face of Seattle. You guys have an opportunity to repair that."

Prior to the start, City Councilman Tim Burgess urged speakers not to boo or hiss, joking that they would otherwise be sent to the "penalty box." Hansen also asked supporters to be respectful in a message on his website.

The hearing did feel a little like a game at KeyArena. Even if Hansen's deal is rejected, or it takes a few years to lure a team from another city, at least Sonics fans had a few public meetings to dress up in jerseys and headbands and show their team spirit lives on.

There were cheers and applause, and memories shared of the 1979 championship team. There was even a shot clock – sort of. Everyone had a one-minute time limit on their comments to public officials, and the timer would beep when they reached their limit.

And there was plenty of working the refs.

"If you pass this – you will be heroes. If you don't pass this, you'll be hearing the name 'Sonicsgate' for the rest of your political careers," said Adam Brown, producer of a documentary about the Sonics' controversial relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008.

"I want to spend my entertainment dollars in Seattle," one fan said.

While sports fans were overwhelmingly in the majority, there were port officials, longshoremen, a respected environmental lawyer and others who urged caution.

Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani said the port would welcome NBA and NHL teams. But port officials remain concerned about the traffic impacts of a third sports arena in Sodo and how that would affect trucks and shipping. He urged the councils to slow down and evaluate alternative sites before signing a binding agreement with the arena group.

"We all want a win-win for the community," he said.

A number of longshoremen also spoke in opposition to locating the arena in Sodo out of concern over how it would affect good-paying jobs. And Dave Gering, executive director of the Manufacturing Industrial Council, asked where the money would come from to pay for up to $200 million in infrastructure improvements – both for traffic and drainage – if an arena gets built in Sodo.

Lawyer Peter Goldman said signing a memorandum of understanding with the arena group before an environmental impact study of other potential sites was not in the public interest or in compliance with state law.

"The Sodo location was forced upon our community ... with no informed consideration at all for alternative sites in Seattle or the region. It was a simply a done deal -- this is where it's going to go, take it or leave it," he said.

The mayor and county executive have said the agreement is clear that it could be withdrawn if the arena site does not pass environmental review.

Unions appeared divided on the arena proposal. Newgent, of the Buildings and Trade Council, reminded councilmembers that the port is funded by property taxes and that a lot of his members face foreclosure because they're out of work. Also in support were stadium and food workers who said they would welcome the jobs inside of it.

About 20 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 15, filled several rows in bright blue T-shirts. They represent 300 stagehands employed at KeyArena and other entertainment venues. They're worried whether workers would lose family-wage jobs if a new arena is built and KeyArena is privatized. Hansen's ownership group has said it would upgrade the arena so an NBA team could temporarily play there until a new venue is finished.

Union president Bess Sullivan said they play a critical role in local performing arts. "It is by design that you don't see the work we do. But today, we need you to see us and the part we play in the fabric of our community," she said.

King County Council chair Larry Gossett said Thursday's meeting was historic and one of the rare times the two councils had appeared together in the last four years. "The proposed basketball arena has generated literally thousands of emails and letters to each of our offices," he said.

Both councils expect to vote on the arena proposal in August or September.

Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news. Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 206-448-8334 or scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com. Follow Scott on Twitter at twitter.com/2_scoops.