Heeeeere comes expansion! - Part II

[gstommylee]

It is sad to see Schultz get vilified because he is a great businessman and has a certain unique value set that bleeds through Starbucks.

The issues were never his fault.

Key Arena was hurt because the next generation of sports stadiums went into effect right after the final upgrade.

He needed a new arena, the Mariners and Seahawks got their arenas, and he got none.

The fact that Key Arena is still an issue tells you everything you need to know about where the city and state stand today. The mayor makes press trips to NYC every year to meet with Silver and Stern and it is the same answer, do you have a replacement for Key Arena. No. Thank you for your time.

The reason why schultz got blamed cause he was the one that sold the team to bennett. He could have waited till someone local wanted to buy the team or tried to search for local group. But he didn't and the team was leaving the moment that agreement between bennett and schultz was done.

The problem with key arena that it was suddenly outdated and nothing happened cause of the recent renovations to the building in 95. You can blame that on the late sonics owner that intentionally designed key arena to be like that.


We have an arena plan that just finished its environmental review and it won't be built unless a NBA team is granted.

Arena funding requires there be a NBA team to start paying back the debt. This is the only way it would have gotten the initial approval from SCC sadly. I am not happy about that NBA team requirement but nothing i can do about that.

This is why ray B is planning an NHL/NBA arena in Tukwila but with out the NBA requirement but he needs to get the NHL before it gets built.

It would be nice if someone was willing to take the risk and just built it regardless of a NHL or a NBA team and just get it over with. Sadly i don't think that will ever happen here.

I'll tell you this sodo arena will be the last arena plan in the city of seattle to ever include any sort of public funding.

 

[displacedpensfan]

It is sad to see Schultz get vilified because he is a great businessman and has a certain unique value set that bleeds through Starbucks.

The issues were never his fault.

Key Arena was hurt because the next generation of sports stadiums went into effect right after the final upgrade.

He needed a new arena, the Mariners and Seahawks got their arenas, and he got none.

Everything I read about the whole mess points the finger at the same guy, and that's Frank Chopp, the crusty old Speaker of the Washington House who refused to deal with Stern.

 

[BattleBorn]

Can anyone provide a list of cities with an arena and owner lined up? A list of cities working on an arena? Cities that are interested but don't have a capable facility and arena?

Just off the top of my head here.
Confirmed Interested Owner/Arena
Quebec City
Las Vegas
Potential Owner/Arena
Portland
Kansas City
Hamilton
Potential Owner/Potential Arena
Seattle
Milwaukee
Hartford
Potential Owner/No Arena
Toronto
No Owner/Arena
Houston

 

[Fugu]

Can anyone provide a list of cities with an arena and owner lined up? A list of cities working on an arena? Cities that are interested but don't have a capable facility and arena?

Portland - has both, if interested
Quebec City - arena almost ready, Quebecor
Las Vegas - MGM arena in-progress, Foley
Seattle - Hansen and NHL partner/SoDo - not yet started; Ray Bartozek x Tukwila arena; Bellevue?
Houston - Toyota Center, Les Alexander, if interested
Toronto2 - no arena or plans yet, Roustan
Kansas City - Sprint Center, not sure if there's an owner candidate

 

[Fugu]

Just off the top of my head here.
Confirmed Interested Owner/Arena
Quebec City
Las Vegas
Potential Owner/Arena
Portland
Kansas City
Hamilton
Potential Owner/Potential Arena
Seattle
Milwaukee
Potential Owner/No Arena
Toronto

I think the Milwaukee arena will not have ice-making capability (cost/design)

 

[gstommylee]

Everything I read about the whole mess points the finger at the same guy, and that's Frank Chopp, the crusty old Speaker of the Washington House who refused to deal with Stern.

And what ridiculous chopp is still house speaker today

 

[BattleBorn]

I think the Milwaukee arena will not have ice-making capability (cost/design)

That's a fairly recent development though, isn't it?

 

[gstommylee]

That's a fairly recent development though, isn't it?

Yes it is from what i read.

 

[KevFu]

I think the Milwaukee arena will not have ice-making capability (cost/design)

There was a report that the new arena was cutting out the Admirals and wouldn't have ice.

However, no arena financing deal has been put into place. There may need to be a separate bill for the budget of the new arena, and politicians are having some partisan bickering over it.

And the NHL's open expansion process might change the viewpoint of people.

In other words, saying what the new Milwaukee arena will & won't have is premature, because nothing has been finalized yet.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

In other words, saying what the new Milwaukee arena will & won't have is premature, because nothing has been finalized yet.

Pretty much this. So much this is what's going to happen based on one article that said the Admirals don't think they'll be a part of it but don't know for sure.

Nobody knows for sure yet, so let's hold off on making definitive comments on what is and isn't happening.

 

[gstommylee]

We aren't even sure if Milwaukee will be getting a new arena yet nevermind if it would house a NHL team. I don't think NHL expansion process in regards to milwaukee will do anything to help the situation there. The worst thing that needs to happen is they start over from scratch.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Milwaukee has until next tuesday to get the arena done.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Milwaukee has until next tuesday to get the arena done.

No they don't. They can continue working under the current budget until they agree with everything on a new budget.

 

[gstommylee]

No they don't. They can continue working under the current budget until they agree with everything on a new budget.

They are running out of time to get the arena deal approved.

 

[Melrose Munch]

No they don't. They can continue working under the current budget until they agree with everything on a new budget.

What does this mean though? And I thought the NBA said the end of the month.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

What does this mean though? And I thought the NBA said the end of the month.

What do you mean what does it mean? It means exactly what I said. They can continue operating under the current budget while they sort out everything that they're arguing about in the budget now from the new arena to prevailing wage to transportation.

When they figure out everything in the new budget, they'll vote. Whether that's next Tuesday or two months from now. Regardless, they don't have to figure out the new arena by next Tuesday.

 

[MoreOrr]

Just off the top of my head here.
Confirmed Interested Owner/Arena
Quebec City
Las Vegas
Potential Owner/Arena
Portland
Kansas City
Hamilton
Potential Owner/Potential Arena
Seattle
Milwaukee
Hartford
Potential Owner/No Arena
Toronto
No Owner/Arena
Houston

Who is this potential owner in KC?

 

[Melrose Munch]

Who is this potential owner in KC?

Chiefs owner




Fugu, please embed this, thanks

 

[gstommylee]

Chiefs owner

I heard that KC aren't actually put in a bid and are waiting so maybe a relocation destination.

 

[Fugu]

Chiefs owner



Fugu, please embed this, thanks

Just take the numeric portion at the end, and put it between tweet tags [ ....tweet...],,number,,,,[/....tweet....]. No spaces or commas.

 

[KevFu]

As I understand the Milwaukee sitch...

There's a deadline on arena financing being included in the Milwaukee/Wisconsin budget; but if that arena dough is NOT settled on for the budget, they just have to vote on a separate bill for the arena financing.

That's obviously more likely to be blown up by politics - but also more likely to be influenced by popular support, and the Admirals & hockey fans would play a part there.


Also, deadlines aren't always DEADlines. You can fandangle them. My favorite story of arena deals is the Chicago White Sox and Comisky Park:

The Illinois State Legislature had a deadline to approve a new stadium or the team was moving to Tampa Bay. Midnight was approaching, but they were still arguing about a hotel tax and hadn't voted yet. So they STOPPED THE CLOCK IN THE LEGISLATURE AT 11:58 PM. The tax was passed and the funding was approved at 11:58 pm and they all went home.

 

[sandysan]

Who is this potential owner in KC?

Hunt Jr ( as others have said) but he acknowledges the time is not right now.

And he either buys the sprint center from.the city of pays to usher in a new city council and.mayor. I'm sure that the mayor would not cut in some interloper, but my guess is that a "local" team won't get a workable lease from the city either.

 

[Headshot77]

I'm surprised we haven't heard anything about a Houston bid for expansion yet.


Regardless, this is going to be a really fun offseason!

 

[KevFu]

I'm surprised we haven't heard anything about a Houston bid for expansion yet.


Regardless, this is going to be a really fun offseason!

Only Les Alexander (Rockets owner) can operate an NHL team in Houston. He submitted a bid in 1997 for expansion -- one of three Houston bids -- but they were rejected because there was no arena plans done.

He also tried to buy the Oilers in 1997-98 to be moved to Houston.

However, the entire time he was bidding on expansion and trying to buy the Oilers, he was engaged in a fight with Bob Watson (Houston Aeros owner), who also OWNED The Summit, the arena Alexander was leasing for the Rockets.

For Alexander, a new arena was about CONTROL. He wanted to stop being Watson's tenant and get all the loot from operating an arena himself. (This is why it took them EIGHT YEARS to get the Toyota Center deal done).

Basically, his purchase of the Oilers was to kick Watson out of the picture. Watson wouldn't let him out of the lease at the Summit (turning down a $30 million buyout) so they could both move to a jointly-owned new arena together.

THAT'S when Alexander bought the Oilers for $70 million (and again for $82.5 million) because with an NHL team, the city of Houston would immediately tell an AHL owner to go screw, give Alexander a new arena and all its revenues.

He'd make up the for the purchase price of the Oilers by generating and keeping more Rockets revenue and all NHL revenue.

He ended up getting what he wanted (the Toyota Center lease), but had to wait until 2003 when the Summit lease expired.

So, Alexander's interest in the NHL isn't what it seems like based on his history of expansion team/Oilers attempts. The NHL was just a means of pocketing more arena revenue, getting out of a bad lease, and getting a good lease.

He has no incentive to buy an NHL team, because he's 71 years old. By the time an NHL team earns him back the purchase price, he'd be dead.

 

[Shawa666]

Chiefs owner




Fugu, please embed this, thanks

Lamar Hunt?

He's been dead since 2006.