Seattle’s City Council has received a “memorandum of understanding” in regards to a $660 million proposal to renovate KeyArena—the home of the Seattle Storm and the host site of the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game back in July.
The renovation is slated to be complete by October of 2020 and would put The Key in position to a be a future home for NHL and NBA franchises in addition to the WNBA’s Storm.
The plan, proposed by Oak View Group and Tim Leiweke, who has connections to Madison Square Garden, is also calling for $40 million in transportation upgrades around KeyArena.
Dawn Trudeau and Force 10 Hoops, who owns the Storm, signed an agreement to extend its lease at KeyArena until 2028. The City will pay the storm $100,000 annually as the Storm are expected to be displaced from KeyArena while renovations are ongoing.
A vote on Oak View’s plan expected to take place in December—around the same time an existing MOU for a plan put forth by Bay Area-based hedge fund manager Chris Hansen to build an arena in Seattle’s SoDo district—is set to expire.
Hansen and his investment group recently unveiled his own plan to renovate and retrofit KeyArena, calling for it to be converted into a multi-use concert and entertainment venue with sports taking place at the SoDo arena—a multi-venue plan Hansen has proposed to pay all costs for. There is an online petition with over 15,000 signatures calling for the City Council to spend more time considering Hansen’s proposal.
An announcement on the agreement between the City and Oak View was scheduled for earlier this week, but was canceled after further allegations of sexual abuse by Ed Murray, who has since resigned as Seattle’s mayor.
City Council President Bruce Harrell has since taken over as interim mayor prior to an upcoming November election between former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan and urban planner Cary Moon, who also backs renovation of KeyArena.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
