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[tanaka0826 (田中鬪莉王)]

BREAKING NEWS: Chris Hansen, City Council reach agreement on new NBA / NHL
arena in Seattle

http://0rz.tw/2fLOf  (KING - 5)

http://0rz.tw/YAE90

Chris Daniels at KING-5 News just broke the story that investor/saint Chris
Hansen and the Seattle City Council have apparently reached a deal on the new
NBA/ NHL arena that could lead the way to the return/rebirth of the Seattle
Supersonics:

SEATTLE – Multiple Sources confirmed Monday that a deal has been reached
between the Seattle City Council and the investor group led by Chris Hansen
on the financial terms that would put a new sports arena near Safeco Field.
A key, multi-million dollar concession by Hansen that could see his investor
group spend more out of pocket to build the arena appears to have brought
reluctant councilmembers onboard with the project.  City Council members are
expected to make an official announcement outlining the terms of the
agreement on Tuesday.

---

多方消息指出Chris Hansen的投資團隊和西雅圖政府達成協議，將蓋一座球場在水兵隊
的Safeco Field附近。

=====

以下是King-5的原文

SEATTLE – Multiple Sources confirmed Monday that a deal has been reached
between the Seattle City Council and the investor group led by Chris Hansen
on the financial terms that would put a new sports arena near Safeco Field.

A key, multi-million dollar concession by Hansen that could see his investor
group spend more out of pocket to build the arena appears to have brought
reluctant councilmembers onboard with the project.  City Council members are
expected to make an official announcement outlining the terms of the
agreement on Tuesday.

Transportation lies at the heart of the revised agreement. In the Memorandum
of Understanding entered into earlier this year with Seattle Mayor Mike
McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine, Hansen pledged $290 million
of private money to build the NBA/NHL facility in SODO. That original plan
envisioned the city and county

issuing $200 million in bonds to finance the remaining costs of the project
(a one-team scenario would have involved only a $120 million investment by
the city and county). Hansen pledged that arena revenue would be sufficient
to pay off the bond debt, thus resulting in no risk to taxpayers.

But to get that deal through the city council, sources said Hansen agreed to
establish a $40 million transportation fund, which would come out of the
publicly financed pool of money. He has also agreed to spend $7 million on
Key Arena, aided by revenue from an NBA or NHL team that would use the
facility while the SODO arena is being built. The money, which would also
support planning for Key Arena's future, would also come out of the publicly
financed portion.

Sources said the Council will commit to financing up to $145 million in
bonded debt –- rather than $120 million -– in a one-team scenario. Council
leaders are said to believe that the transportation portion of the deal will
help secure matching funds from the state, federal government or the Port of
Seattle.

Sources said they believe those two issues were important to bring the deal
into compliance with Initiative 91 and to win over the Port of Seattle and
other maritime interests that have criticized the transportation impacts of
the proposed arena site.

Critics have claimed that the original proposal violated I-91 -- the 2006
initiative that effectively forbids the city from using taxpayer funds for a
new sports arena unless the city is guaranteed to profit from it at the rate
equal to or higher than the yield on U.S. Treasuries.

No specific freight or transportation projects have been identified for
funding.

Hansen has remained relatively silent on the negotiations ever since the King
County Council approved an amended MOU back on July 30.  The Seattle City
Council’s approval was considered the last major stumbling block.

Sources with inside knowledge of the negotiations said they believe the plan
has the needed five votes for majority approval. Councilmembers Bruce Harrell
and Sally Bagshaw, an initial arena critic, have signaled their support,
sources said.  Chief negotiators Tim Burgess and Mike O’Brien are also on
board, and late Monday Council President Sally Clark signed on as well.

After full council approval, sources said the deal will allow Hansen to tell
the NBA that Seattle is ready to host a franchise.

Those same sources said there are also several other important changes to the
original MOU:

- The amended MOU also calls for the city to strengthen the line between the
Stadium Transition area and the Industrial Area.

- The Environmental Review process, which is a requirement in the MOU
currently, will be amended to require that alternative sites be considered,
including a specific reference to Seattle Center.  Also, according to sources,
the Council will make it clear that no further action be taken on the 
financing until the environmental review process is complete and necessary
mitigation addressed.

- Hansen will be required to double his security reserves if Arena revenue
does not perform as expected. His ArenaCo holding company must also keep a
minimum of three months operating and maintenance cash on hand at all times.

- City will have enforcement power over schedules and require the owners of
all three sports venues in SODO to coordinate schedules to avoid conflicts.

- Principal investors must also supply further financial portfolio details.

- City/County can require ArenaCo to purchase the land and the Arena in 30
years for $200 million.

- ArenaCo can replace the facility in the future for the amount of the land
purchased by the City, plus inflation, but for no less than $200 million.
 The current MOU calls for the 5.5 acres to be transferred to the City/County
upon groundbreaking.  The amendment would require ArenaCo to rebuild the
arena if it executes that clause.

Councilmember Burgess’s Government Performance and Finance Committee is
expected to discuss and vote on the changes on Thursday.  The full Council
would, in theory, then vote to approve the deal on Sept. 17.

The King County Council would then also have to approve the revised deal.
In a statement released late Monday, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said: "I
welcome the news that the City Council has decided to support bringing
basketball back to Seattle. Executive Constantine and I negotiated a proposal
with Chris Hansen, an Arena Review Panel vetted it and the County Council
approved it. The City Council was the last piece of the puzzle. We haven't
gotten a team yet, but Sonics fans have a reason to smile today."

--


       "HARD WORK BEATS TALENT 
                                  WHEN TALENT FAILS TO WORK HARD."

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◆ From: 122.117.20.246
※ 編輯: tanaka0826      來自: 122.117.20.246       (09/11 15:16)
推 janejane:有種失去了才懂得珍惜的感覺...
推 rettttt5:sigh......
推 gazette:原本的key arena不用了嗎@@?
→ vic1201:Key Arena設備滿老舊的 大家可能忘了當初就是因為西雅圖
→ vic1201:政府拒絕出資協助超音速蓋新球場 前老闆舒茲才決定賣球隊
→ NightElf:真的 GP應該超幹 一輩子都不會被退休的20號...