Seattle SuperSonics Thread

[dakid23]

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[h1]New Seattle arena press conference set for Thursday[/h1]
SEATTLE - A source tells KING 5 News a press conference is scheduled at Seattle City Hall Thursday to announce deal on new sports arena complex

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[Deleted member 38182]

I wish Sac could get this arena deal as fast as Seattle

Does this at least mean that they are getting an NHL team???

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by dakid23

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[h1]New Seattle arena press conference set for Thursday[/h1]
SEATTLE - A source tells KING 5 News a press conference is scheduled at Seattle City Hall Thursday to announce deal on new sports arena complex

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Nice

 

[dmbrhs]

Not enough Tiger fist pumps in the world.

 

[dmbrhs]

Although reading the Seattle Times news bit, it sounds like he's just unveiling the proposal to the public. Unless King 5 knows more.

 

[dakid23]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Although reading the Seattle Times news bit, it sounds like he's just unveiling the proposal to the public. Unless King 5 knows more.

That sounds more like it.

 

[hawkflight6]

Originally Posted by rck2sactown

I wish Sac could get this arena deal as fast as Seattle

Does this at least mean that they are getting an NHL team???

If the arena gets built they will most likely get the Coyotes
It was between them and Quebec City and basically it came down to who got an arena built first

 

[True Blues]

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[h2]NBA arena backer Chris Hansen to reveal Seattle plan Thursday[/h2]
Christopher Hansen, the wealthy San Francisco mystery man who wants to build a sports arena in Seattle to lure NBA and NHL teams, will unveil his proposal at a news conference Thursday, according to two city sources.

By Steve Miletich and Lynn Thompson

Seattle Times staff reporters



ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Christopher Hansen, a San Francisco hedge-fund manager who grew up in the Rainier Valley, wants to bring an NBA team back to Seattle.

Christopher Hansen, the wealthy San Francisco mystery man who wants to build a sports arena in Seattle to lure NBA and NHL teams, will unveil his proposal at a news conference Thursday, according to two city sources.

Hansen, during an interview Wednesday with The Seattle Times, hinted that he was on the verge of revealing his plan.

"We're very close to announcing our offer to the city. That's why I'm here," the 44-year-old hedge-fund manager and Seattle native said in The Times offices.

Hansen said he is only reluctantly stepping forward now because of the intense interest in and speculation around his arena proposal, the details of which are still not known. While he acknowledged that an arena can't be a burden on taxpayers, the package is expected to include a combination of private money and tax revenues spun from the facility.

Speaking in self-effacing tones, Hansen talked about his deep Seattle roots, his modest upbringing in the Rainier Valley and his desire to help a city where he still closely follows all the professional sports teams.

The onetime paperboy and dishwasher talked about sobbing as a child when the Sonics lost in the NBA Finals in 1978 and his elation when they won the world championship a year later.

As the final buzzer sounded in Game 5 and Sonics point guard Gus Williams hurled the game ball skyward, Hansen, then 11, watched from his Seattle home in what he calls a defining moment in his life.

He recalled hearing the honking horns and skipping school for the city's massive celebratory parade.

Hansen, dressed in a suit and an open-collared shirt, said he wants to recapture that feeling by translating his business success and making a significant personal investment, along with other investors, in a new arena and NBA team.

"This isn't about Chris Hansen," he said. "This is about an NBA team and a new arena."

Hansen said owning an NBA team is a dream he has had since college, and that this is the right "moment in time" to pursue it, despite having two young children and a growing business he started in 2008.

Interest in the arena proposal has soared in recent weeks, following The Times' disclosure that Hansen and the city have been engaged in intense talks since June. The cost of an arena has been estimated at $400 million, and buying an NBA team would add hundreds of millions more.

Adding to the picture is a March 1 NBA deadline for Sacramento to develop a viable plan for a new arena or risk losing the Kings franchise.

The NHL also has expressed a strong interest in Seattle if an arena is built, prompting speculation about the financially troubled Phoenix Coyotes moving to Seattle.

Hansen described his interest as building an arena and attracting an NBA franchise, saying others would have to come forward with a hockey proposal. He declined to say if hockey is crucial to a profitable arena, although others have said that it would be.

Hansen, who has acquired property in the Sodo District just south of the Safeco Field garage, declined to discuss details of his proposal, citing continuing discussions with city and county officials. He characterized the talks as sensitive and complex, saying the proposal was a long way from becoming a reality and that it could easily be derailed.

But he said, "I think we are very close to reaching an agreement with the city and county."

He wouldn't discuss the Sacramento situation, saying he was acutely aware of what Seattle went through when Sonics owner Clay Bennett moved the team to Oklahoma City in 2008 after failing to secure a new arena.

Already, however, Hansen has spoken with NBA Commissioner David Stern, who has said he is open to locating a team in Seattle but that new teams won't be added to the league.

Throughout Wednesday's interview, Hansen focused on his personal story and affection for Seattle; his parents and most of his extended family live in the area.

He described how he grew up poor and largely put himself through San Diego State University and the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. He now manages more than $3 billion in public and private investments as managing partner of Valiant Capital in San Francisco.

Seattle City Council President Sally Clark said she and council members Bruce Harrell and Tim Burgess met briefly Wednesday with Hansen at City Hall. The meeting lasted about 10 minutes and was "a chance for him to kind of introduce himself," Clark said.

He gave no details about financing or specific plans for the arena, but he seemed to want to get to know council members, she said.

The meeting was in the mayor's conference room, but Mayor Mike McGinn left while council members asked Hansen why he was interested in an arena.

"His basic answer was, 'I'm a Sonics guy,' " Clark said.

Council members will be briefed on the arena proposal Thursday morning.

King County Executive Dow Constantine said Wednesday that Hansen contacted his office a few weeks ago. He assigned a few staff members to work with Hansen, Constantine said, and they have been "communicating back and forth." He declined to elaborate.

In his interview with The Times, Hansen said he wasn't interested in lobbying or political posturing. Rather, he said, the terms of the arena proposal should stand on their own merits.

"This is for the people of Seattle to decide if it fits their needs," Hansen said, adding that he did not want to be seen as a hero or savior.

While details behind Hansen's effort haven't been disclosed, Hansen wrote in a June email to McGinn's aides that it was his desire to proceed "without a large public outlay."

McGinn also said potential investors are aware that city voters in 2006 overwhelmingly approved an initiative that says the city must make a profit on any investment it makes in a sport arena.

He also referred to "direct and indirect contributions" that could be made by the city.

As part of a deal, the city could be asked to allow taxes on admissions, parking and increased property values in the area around an arena to be used to pay off debt, according to sources familiar with the arena discussions.

Supporters are likely to argue that the taxes wouldn't be generated without an arena, one source said.

But there are almost certain to be sharp questions, centered on traffic, parking and future development around an arena. Both the Seattle Mariners and maritime and industrial interests in the Sodo District likely will have concerns.

Hansen said the proposed arena site is an ideal place, because it already is zoned for stadiums, would have minimal impact on the surrounding community and has convenient access to freeways. He also noted that interest rates are low, making it easier to finance an arena.

His visit to The Times represented his first public step in introducing himself to the region, helped by a high-profile public-relations firm with experience in navigating Seattle stadium deals.

According to a biography supplied by his representatives, he was born in San Francisco and moved to Seattle in 1973 with his mother after his parents separated. They lived in a rental house near Roosevelt High School.

In the interview, Hansen said had been deeply influenced by his mother, who also was a social worker for Catholic Community Services and the Children's Home Society. He said he wanted to transfer what she taught him about personal responsibility and ethics and apply it to NBA ownership.

In 1976, the family bought a home in the Rainier Valley.

Hansen attended Fairview and Stevens elementary schools, as well Blessed Sacrament and Blanchet High School for his freshman through junior years.

He transferred to Roosevelt for his senior year, after his parents no longer could afford tuition for himself and four siblings. He graduated in 1986.

His first job, at age 10, was delivering the South County Journal. At 13, he began delivering The Times and two years later began working as a dishwasher and prep cook at the Leschi Lake Café.

He graduated with honors from San Diego State University 1991 and then returned to Seattle, renting an apartment in the Leschi neighborhood. He worked for three years as a financial consultant for American Express Financial Advisors, according to the biography.

In 1994, he entered USC, where he earned an MBA.

He went to work in 1996 as a research analyst with Montgomery Securities in San Francisco. He was promoted to senior analyst in 1999 and principal in 2000.

In 2001, Hansen joined the San Francisco office of New York-based Blue Ridge Capital as senior analyst and partner.

After seven years, Hansen founded Valiant Capital in 2008.

He is married to Kimberly Airey Hansen. His two children, Peyton and Reade, are from a previous marriage. His mother, Margaret Mazen, of Seattle, and father, Robert Hansen, of Bellevue, live in homes he purchased for them in 2008, according to the biography.

Hansen described wistful feelings when his young children celebrated the San Francisco Giants victory in the World Series in 2010.

"I've been waiting ... years," he said, referring to the Sonics' last world championship. "I'm all about trying to make it happen."

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by hawkflight6

Originally Posted by rck2sactown

I wish Sac could get this arena deal as fast as Seattle

Does this at least mean that they are getting an NHL team???

If the arena gets built they will most likely get the Coyotes
It was between them and Quebec City and basically it came down to who got an arena built first

Thats good, and at the worst if you don't get the NHL franchise then you will have an NBA ready arena for whenever a franchise is ready to move.

 

[dakid23]

Seattle will have both teams, before the opening of the arena. This isn't Kansas City. Were not going to have a beautiful arena just sitting there.. 
BTW the Sprint Center is 

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Ya that's a good point, by the time the arena is open it'll be like 2, 3 years from now?? I'll put money you guys get an NBA and NHL team by then, especially once yall have shovels in the ground

 

[dmbrhs]

Chris Hansen is a Roosevelt High School grad too.

 

[651akathepaul]

[h1]Seattle announces plans for new arena[/h1]

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Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Christopher Hansen is making a $290 million proposal to his hometown that could be the impetus for a new sports arena that could bring the NBA and NHL to Seattle.

All he needs is city and county approval equaling $200 million and the two franchises to make it a reality.

Hansen, a hedge-fund manager based in San Francisco and a Seattle native, submitted a proposal to the city on Thursday that calls for $290 million in private investment toward the construction of a new arena that would cost between $450 and $500 million. Hansen and his investment group would also be responsible for the purchase of an NBA franchise and finding a partner interested in bringing an NHL franchise to Seattle as well.

The proposal represents the first significant step toward solving the arena problem that was at the root of the SuperSonics' move from Seattle to Oklahoma City following the 2008 NBA season leaving behind 41 years of history. The proposal will now go before a review board -- a group of community leaders that includes one-time SuperSonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens -- with King County executive Dow Constantine hoping their review can be completed within a month.

According to a letter submitted by the Hansen, the remaining construction and development costs would be financed by the city and King County using taxes and revenues generated by the new facility and rent charged to the teams playing in the arena -- money that will not exist if the arena isn't built. City officials are adamant that there will be no new public taxes needed for the building and the city's portion of the investment will be capped at $200 million with any additional cost overruns paid by the private investors.

From there, Hansen's proposal would need city and county approval. City Councilman Tim Burgess believes the council could be complete with its arena review as early as June. But even with ultimate approval no shovels will be going into the land just south of Safeco Field until an anchor tenant is in hand with a 30-year lease agreement that includes a no-relocation clause. City officials say their projections for how the financing plan would work are based off having both an NHL and NBA team.

"There will be no arena unless there is an agreement to get a team here to occupy that arena over a very long term," Constantine said at an afternoon press conference that was part pep rally.

The amount of liability Hansen and his investment group is taking on is somewhat staggering and appears to comply with a voter passed initiative in 2006 that prohibited Seattle from supporting teams with taxes unless such investments yielded a profit.

City officials say the $290 million in private investment would be the third-most among NBA or NHL arenas. It would be built on land Hansen already owns parcels in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood where the Seahawks and Mariners already play.

"I am confident this proposal will be looked on favorably by both leagues and sincerely believe that together we can accomplish the goal of securing NBA and NHL franchises for our community," Hansen wrote in his proposal.

Seattle is the only top 15 media market in the country not to have at least three franchises in the four major professional leagues and Thursday's announcement would appear to ratchet up pressure in places like Sacramento, New Orleans and Phoenix where their franchises face uncertain futures. Documents obtained through a public records request from the city of Seattle show that Hansen is paying attention to what's happening in Sacramento, where a March 1 deadline looms for submitting plans to the NBA for funding a new arena.

The lynchpin of Sacramento's arena plan -- a proposal to divert and privatize parking revenues to cover roughly $200 million of the arena's costs -- is tentatively scheduled for a full City Council vote on Feb. 28.

Think BIG Sacramento, a regional initiative for a new arena launched by Sacramento mayorKevin Johnson, denounced Hansen's moves calling them "publicity stunts aimed at derailing Sacramento's process to build an arena."

But the NHL's Coyotes in Phoenix and the NBA's Hornets in New Orleans are both currently owned by their leagues, although each league has strongly expressed its desire to find local ownership to keep those teams in those markets. A public records request by The Associated Press found that Seattle mayor Mike McGinn's office has not had documented contact with either the NBA or NHL about a team coming to Seattle.

McGinn reiterated Thursday that the responsibility of dealing with the individual leagues is on Hansen and his partners, not the city or county. But he acknowledged this is as close as the area has been to solving its arena issue since the Sonics' messy divorce.

"I'm out of the prediction business. I'm not going into the prediction business on this one," McGinn said.

 

[Peep Game]

Yesssssssssssssssss

 

[noblekane]

its a shame u guys cant get back the thunder...

 

[two.oh.6]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Chris Hansen is a Roosevelt High School grad too.

transferred after three years from Bishop Blanchet High School too

 

[dmbrhs]

I'm so sick of the Seattle City Council. They KNOW what this arena deal will do for the city, and they won't admit it. It creates a crap load of jobs in construction alone. It will revitalize SoDo into a potential LA Live type city hub. If NHL and NBA teams come to town, they will make back that $200 million in no time. But nooooooooooooooo, they needed to handpick a group of community leaders, including heads of local ethnic groups, in order to determine that an arena is a good idea, that will benefit everyone. Heaven forbid they approve anything without the approval of the local La Raza faction.

 

[Sinner]

So, correct me if I'm wrong... but it's great that Seattle has the groundwork for a new arena and all, but ultimately if there aren't any teams "available", the arena won't happen, right? And in order for teams to be "available", it's still ultimately down to other cities/teams not agreeing on their deals and deciding to move/sell? So basically Seattle is getting the foundation ready in the even that a team does become available?

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

So, correct me if I'm wrong... but it's great that Seattle has the groundwork for a new arena and all, but ultimately if there aren't any teams "available", the arena won't happen, right? And in order for teams to be "available", it's still ultimately down to other cities/teams not agreeing on their deals and deciding to move/sell? So basically Seattle is getting the foundation ready in the even that a team does become available?

Good thing is in Seattle's case is that both teams that are in play (Hornets and Coyotes) are owned by their leagues and don't have local ownership. I'm guessing if a city has an arena-built ready for those teams they (The leagues) would like to choose not to carry those financial burdens anymore

  

 

[dakid23]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

I'm so sick of the Seattle City Council. They KNOW what this arena deal will do for the city, and they won't admit it. It creates a crap load of jobs in construction alone. It will revitalize SoDo into a potential LA Live type city hub. If NHL and NBA teams come to town, they will make back that $200 million in no time. But nooooooooooooooo, they needed to handpick a group of community leaders, including heads of local ethnic groups, in order to determine that an arena is a good idea, that will benefit everyone. Heaven forbid they approve anything without the approval of the local La Raza faction.

 

[dmbrhs]

I know, I could have worded that differently, but it seems like pandering. The arena proposal is for construction on an industrial part of the city. Nobody is really affected by this except the businesses which have already sold their property for what I am going to assume was fair market value. Don't need a panel of community leaders to decide what the impact is on their individual communities.

 

[dakid23]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

I know, I could have worded that differently, but it seems like pandering. The arena proposal is for construction on an industrial part of the city. Nobody is really affected by this except the businesses which have already sold their property for what I am going to assume was fair market value. Don't need a panel of community leaders to decide what the impact is on their individual communities.

I know i'm with you. I wish all of this passes through quickly.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

I'm so sick of the Seattle City Council. They KNOW what this arena deal will do for the city, and they won't admit it. It creates a crap load of jobs in construction alone. It will revitalize SoDo into a potential LA Live type city hub. If NHL and NBA teams come to town, they will make back that $200 million in no time. But nooooooooooooooo, they needed to handpick a group of community leaders, including heads of local ethnic groups, in order to determine that an arena is a good idea, that will benefit everyone. Heaven forbid they approve anything without the approval of the local La Raza faction.

Last sentence had me

  

 

[dakid23]

Guess what state doesn't want basketball to return to Seattle?
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/7585271/basketball-back-seattle 

 

[651akathepaul]