Metro Seattle: NHL, NBA and Arena - Part VII

[JawandaPuck]

The "Pocket Suites" at the lower level of the proposed Seattle Arena

An interesting article about Chris Hansen's journey from childhood through to today...

The man who would bring the NBA back to Seattle
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020775555_hansenprofilexml.html

Hansen, who accumulated great wealth while at Blue Ridge and at Valiant, enjoys spending it on his friends and family. He threw himself an extravagant 40th-birthday (2007) bash in Las Vegas at a Playboy suite at the Palms Hotel, where several hundred people helped him celebrate.​

It's also interesting that Chris Hansen chose the Palms for his big birthday bash in 2007. At the time, majority control was in the hands of the Maloof family. (They weren't forced to cell until 2010)...

The Palms hit financial trouble in 2010, when it started missing loan payments. Under an agreement reached with creditors TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, they each received a 49% stake in the property in November 2011, in exchange for erasing about $400 million in debt. The Maloof family retains a 2% share, with options to buy back up to 20%, and George Maloof continues to manage the property. [link]​

Perhaps Hansen has been in contact with the Maloofs about the Kings much longer than we might otherwise be led to believe.

As for The Palms, George Maloof still runs the place and the family has an option to purchase back 20%. With gambling revenues on the rise in Vegas, little wonder what they will use the sale of the Kings money for.

Either way, it looks as though the NBA will make a decision on the fate of the Sacremento Kings soon...

Chris Daniels ‏@ChrisDaniels5 3:58 PM - 13 Apr 13
BREAKING: The #NBAKings situation will be addressed at a press conference in New York scheduled for next Friday (4-19-13)​

Previous Threads
Part VI: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1329387
Part V: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1216005
Part IV: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1125147
Part III: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1103231
Part II: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1094241
Part I: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=908743
Nickname thread: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1096759

Click to read more...

 

[superdeluxe]

Gate concerns will be less of a concern compared to other cities because of corporate sponsorship/ tv revenue

 

[Nuclear SUV]

http://www.sonicsarena.com/news/hockey-anyone

"We also just wanted to take this opportunity to share a couple pictures for all the diehard hockey fans out there of what this building will look like for an NHL game. The bottom line is as good as this is for basketball, it is an even better building for hockey."

...


"While I know there may have been a few skeptics out there, I have to say I am just as pumped as most of you to see the return of professional hockey to Seattle, and honestly can't wait to see this building bursting at the seams with crazed Seattle hockey fans."

— Chris Hansen

 

[superdeluxe]

Just wanted to say that for Seattle fans this is the start of the most important week in our towns history

 

[XX]

Wouldn't even be mad if Seattle got the Coyotes. Just wondering how that would go down. Two new teams at once? I know the Sonics have season tickets lined up. Wonder how a hockey team would do on a similar drive.

 

[gstommylee]

The seattle NHL group is waiting till the the NBA kings are sale/relocation is approved before moving forward with their plans. Bettman is aware of the situation and knows that if we get the NBA kings that the arena will happen.

 

[gstommylee]

Wouldn't even be mad if Seattle got the Coyotes. Just wondering how that would go down. Two new teams at once? I know the Sonics have season tickets lined up. Wonder how a hockey team would do on a similar drive.

Good question i guess we'll find out.

 

[Stonewall]

What is the NBA's subliminal meaning in holding a press conference to decide this?

This is so exciting and nervewreaking.

 

[gstommylee]

What is the NBA's subliminal meaning in holding a press conference to decide this?

This is so exciting and nervewreaking.

As far as whats going on the committees will have final meeting on wednesday to look over notes and make their recommendation then full BOG vote on sale/reloc on thursday or friday then have a press conference on friday.

Regarding sacramento they have yet to match and probably will not match the 550m figure + the 30m non-refundable payment in a written binding back-up offer. They are fully hoping that NBA will be sympathetic and reject hansen's offer so they can make a much lower bid to get the team. If that were to happen Maloofs could file anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA.

 

[XX]

How long would they have to play at the Key? 2 or 3 years? What the hell can be done to make that pile more palatable for hockey? Genuinely curious.

 

[gstommylee]

How long would they have to play at the Key? 2 or 3 years? What the hell can be done to make that pile more palatable for hockey? Genuinely curious.

Hansen said the arena can be done as early as September 2015 right before the 15-16 season. Construction could start as soon as November since the final EIS is expected to be done in November.

The Master use permit will be filed as early as tomorrow.

 

[superdeluxe]

How long would they have to play at the Key? 2 or 3 years? What the hell can be done to make that pile more palatable for hockey? Genuinely curious.

Not too much, everyone agrees it will kind of suck for 2 years

 

[gstommylee]

Not too much, everyone agrees it will kind of suck for 2 years

It'll stink alright two years of going through that mercer mess

 

[HansH]

How long would they have to play at the Key? 2 or 3 years? What the hell can be done to make that pile more palatable for hockey? Genuinely curious.

I know the sightlines aren't necessarily better, but the capacity might be better if the team played two years at the TacomaDome instead of the Key -- I think it seats something obscene like 20k for hockey(?) and it did host the WCHL Tacoma Sabercats for several seasons in the late 90s-early 2000s.

 

[gstommylee]

I know the sightlines aren't necessarily better, but the capacity might be better if the team played two years at the TacomaDome instead of the Key -- I think it seats something obscene like 20k for hockey(?) and it did host the WCHL Tacoma Sabrecats for several seasons in the late 90s-early 2000s.

Tacoma dome is not an option and will not be used. Its far worse for hockey than Key arena is.
As i last said about tacoma dome there was a study and it'll cost 200-300m to make it even possible for hockey.

 

[Ugmo]

That's a nice-looking arena.

 

[gstommylee]

That's a nice-looking arena.

Oh yes hansen has some great plans that would innovate the fan experiences within the arena. Pocket suites close to the action has never been done before.

 

[Stonewall]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I guess that implies green will be the primary color for the team?

 

[gstommylee]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I guess that implies green will be the primary color for the team?

Green is one of the primary colors for the soncs although it could be for NHL team regardless if its metros or totems.

 

[Nordskull]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I guess that implies green will be the primary color for the team?

If we compare the Seattle drawings and the ones from Qc..

We can see the major difference is the Seattle ones is empty while Qc arena is full of people...

I am kidding!

In fact, I wanted to point out a major difference is the Seattle projet do not seems to look like the Consol in Pitts, with its open spaces at top of the sections. I a bit surprised. Maybe I am wrong and it doesnt show enough on the Seattle drawings.

Honestly, this Seattle arena would be a awesome place, no doubt, despite I like the Qc project a bit more.

Of course green, for Seattle, its natural ;-)

 

[gstommylee]

If we compare the Seattle drawings and the ones from Qc..

We can see the major difference is the Seattle ones is empty while Qc arena is full of people...

I am kidding!

In fact, I wanted to point out a major difference is the Seattle projet do not seems to look like the Consol in Pitts, with its open spaces at top of the sections. I a bit surprised. Maybe I am wrong and it doesnt show enough on the Seattle drawings.

Honestly, this Seattle arena would be a awesome place, no doubt, despite I like the Qc project a bit more.

Of course green, for Seattle, its natural ;-)

You should see the rest of the interior designs especially for the upper parts of the arena. 17.5k for hockey 18 for basketball don't include the standing room only area that Hansen has plans for.

 

[SharksFan1978]

Hi Ugmo. Just wanted to follow up on a comment you made in the last thread:

"Ok, thanks. Not that it probably isn't true, but the whole "mystery investor who won't step out from behind the curtain until the arena deal is done" angle does seem a bit dubious."

There are two schools of thought for a situation like this, I suppose. One is you can have some group out there saying they want to buy the team, relocate it and all that jazz and make themselves very visible. The other is that you have someone quietly working on this behind the scenes if for no other reason than there is no reason to go public yet. If Seattle doesn't get the Kings, then it doesn't matter if there is a viable NHL ownership group in place or not because it becomes a moot point.

I would expect (but can't prove this, it's just a guess) that if the Kings do in fact move to Seattle, you will hear within a week that there is a group ready to buy the Coyotes and move them to Seattle in time for next season. Considering how quietly Hansen put his arena bid together and how he has had his ducks in a row from the word go here--and bearing in mind that from the start this has been a plan for an NBA-and-NHL arena, not simply an NBA arena--I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a group has been in place for some time and has simply chosen to remain out of sight until there is an actual reason for them to make their presence as potential owners known to the public.

Who knows? Maybe they watched Balsillie's very public acts a few years ago and want to do things the exact opposite way, thinking that this will improve their chances with Bettman & Co. And while QC's interest is obvious and admirable, Bettman and TPTB have never promised or even guaranteed a team to QC, you can never quite tell with Bettman if quiet and patient is the way to go or not, or if showing your enthusiasm is a good thing. It didn't work out for Balsillie, but then again he was trying to subvert the entire process, so maybe his enthusiasm wasn't the problem. Hard to know!

 

[MuzikMachine]

From the prevous thread...

Didn't one of the NHL league guys while the Vancouver were in the playoffs the year they went to the cup finals spoke that there were groups interested in bringing a NHL team to seattle.

Are you refering to this? It was an interview between Bill Daily and Chris Daniels.

 

[gstommylee]

From the prevous thread...



Are you refering to this? It was an interview between Bill Daily and Chris Daniels.

That's the one.

 

[Ugmo]

Balsillie acted like a complete jackass though, didn't he?

So what is the advantage to completely remaining incognito? I get that it would be a moot point if Seattle doesn't get the Kings, but that doesn't mean there's an advantage to not going public with interest in a hockey team. Maybe these guys are so low-key that they just don't feel like revealing who they are, who knows, but if I were gung ho about Seattle I don't know that I'd hang my hopes on some mystery investment group that for some reason doesn't feel like revealing itself.