On OVG's web page, they state what they believe, an arena must be built first before it would attract a sports franchise. They would have to get all of their approvals from the city and then spend 20 to 24 months building an arena.
If they really believe this then a conditional street vacation in SoDo, that couldn't begin arena construction without first securing a sports franchise, would not attract the NHL or NBA.
So, if it isn't going to be successful then why is the mayor and council halting progress on the street vacation?
An excuse I heard somewhere was that the city's efforts are working on KeyArena. But how can that be? The MOU states that Chris Hansen is paying the fees for his project. If they need more people, hire them. If been a staff analyst, their excuse is horseshit.
The city has budget approval from Hansen or it doesn't. The city needs to explain that in the budget. I look forward to that accounting.
What are they afraid of?
"Will a music-first approach to building an arena impact the ability to attract an NHL or NBA team?
http://newarenaatseattlecenter.com/No. OVG's approach of building a world-class music, sports and entertainment venue will provide the best chance of attracting NBA and NHL teams. History supports our belief that the NBA or the NHL will come when a suitable arena is built. The only way to privately finance an arena without a team is to have a robust music and entertainment calendar. If we attract teams, we will adjust the music programming to accommodate the Storm, NBA and NHL schedules before booking other events to ensure teams can be competitive."
Is Ed Murray breaking the MOU with Chris Hansen?
