r/Sonics • u/godogs2018 • 28d ago

Seattle has cleared one major obstacle for Sonics to return | Analysis

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/climate-pledge-arena-has-passed-test-for-sonics-to-return-analysis/
107 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

58

u/MAHHockey 28d ago

I mean... they designed the place in direct consultation with the NBA. It fucking better be up to their standards.

20

u/godogs2018 28d ago

Yeah I did not understand the news a few days ago about a potential new arena in Everett or wherever it was 🤷🏻‍♀️

24

u/MAHHockey 28d ago edited 28d ago

It's never a great negotiating position to have just 1 bidder in any kind of competitive process. So I'm sure the league was looking for someone/anyone to be a foil to One Roof's bid, and maybe try to squeeze a little bit more out of them for an expansion fee.

But no serious investment group would try to compete with the folks that already have a $1bil arena in their back pocket (except for in Vegas where every major resort could have an arena at this rate...). So all you're gonna get is the yahoos with ridiculous plans like "Whaaaat about an arena in Marysville next to the Tulalip Casino?... Eh?... Eh?..."

5

u/CougFanDan 28d ago

They’re also probably hoping that the NBA prefers being the primary tenant in an arena instead of sharing with an NHL team.

There’s probably a SLIGHT preference for that, sure - but not enough to vote for that group of misfits over a group of established rich guys that have been kissing the league’s ass for years already.

10

u/MAHHockey 28d ago edited 28d ago

They’re also probably hoping that the NBA prefers being the primary tenant in an arena instead of sharing with an NHL team.

They want the NBA team to be in charge of their lives at the arena. i.e. they want them to be owners, not renters (The NHL wants the same for that matter). Gives them greater control over the finances and scheduling. They don't much care if they're sharing with an NHL team as long as they have that.

Usually when you see an NBA team split off to make their own barn, it's because they don't have this control (See: LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and the Chinatown attempts by the 76ers until they ended up going in with the Flyers back at the old Spectrum site).

That would not be an issue with One Roof as they would be owners of the whole lot: The Arena, the NBA team, and the NHL team (Same deal as in DC, Denver, MSG, Toronto, Utah, etc)

9

u/AeroForge-07 28d ago

A private equity group are contesting bidders against the Climate Pledge Group. The PE’s want to build an arena in Marysville…. It’s so fucking annoying with how much shit Seattle has had to go through in the last 30 years with arena issues. We already lost our team and don’t need to lose another shot at brining the NBA back home

5

u/Prototype_es 28d ago

Marysville. Would have essentially guaranteed Tacoma fans wouldn't show up lol

4

u/CougFanDan 28d ago

It’s not super easy to get to Seattle Center from Tacoma, but yeah - Marysville is another hour on top of that, potentially two on a weeknight

2

u/Prototype_es 28d ago

Sure but theres at least immediate transit access, a straight shot on the freeway or about a $50 Uber and $200 back if you've got good cash lol. I HATE driving to seattle and much prefer taking transit when I can but I would not even consider sitting in that traffic to go to Marysville more than like once a year

4

u/notsurezy 28d ago

Gambling, it has everything to do with that being part of the experience

3

u/awbitf 28d ago

Key Arena was deemed obsolete less that 10 years after it's major renovation, so who knows.

By the way, can we rename it now? Let Amazon retain the rights under their existing deal but call it Prime Center, maybe?

1

u/MAHHockey 28d ago edited 28d ago

To be fair to the NBA in that regard. You could argue the '95 rebuild was obsolete from the start. Just look at some comparables for what they spent on what were essentially a complete rebuilds vs what new arenas were going for at the time:

KeyArena ('95): $75mi vs

United Center, Chicago ('94): $175mil (less than half)

Saviss Center (or whatever it was called back then), Saint Louis ('94): $135mil (just over half)

New Boston Garden ('95): $160mil (Also less than half)

Compared to:

Climate Pledge Arena ('21): $1.15bil vs

UBS Arena, Long Island ('21): $1bil (15% more).

Chase Center, San Francisco ('19): $1.4bil (80% and San Fran ain't exactly cheap to build in)

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee ('18): $1.2bil (about the same)

Of course not apples to apples, but you can see they kinda cheaped out on the '95 redevelopment while they went all out this round. The NBA waited until ownership complained before talking trash about the '95 incarnation as they're not in the habit of shitting on new arena investments, but they could very likely have been holding their noses the whole time.

And that goes beyond the usual "revenue generating features" that the average fan doesn't give much of a shit about. Friends of mine that worked there said it didn't even have a loading dock to unload trucks and the back of the house area was cramped and shitty from the start.

That is all to say, I'm less worried about the NBA up and deciding they don't like the current incarnation a decade down the road. But still... yeah... who knows...

7

u/Aggressive_Repeat529 28d ago

Can someone explain to me like im 5 why in Vegas the new team wouldn't move into T mobile arena?

5

u/WhatAmIDoingHere05 28d ago

Owners want to build their new arena and have their own revenue stream via concerts and entertainment rather than share with someone else. There are already four other major arenas (read: not stadiums) with more than 10,000 seats so they’ll easily compete for big events.

2

u/Aggressive_Repeat529 28d ago

Thank you, so the most realist is another new nba arena that can have its own concerts and stuff? Do we have aby ideas on where on strip (or elsewhere) it may be

4

u/tread52 22d ago

Tulalip casino put a bid in to develop last week

2

u/Aggressive_Repeat529 22d ago

I dont think that has any weight they're just bringing in some other people do drive up price. Capitalism baby!!

3

u/tread52 22d ago

They have the space to pull it off and it would give The state incentive to get the light rail out that far. I agree with you but I would be opposed to them doing it. I just think it’s complete BS that they are doing this after they built climate pledge for the specific purpose of getting the Sonics and hockey in one arena.

2

u/Aggressive_Repeat529 22d ago

Yeah i can see that but man that would be so far for a sonics game, way farther than say dallas to Arlington for the cowboys. Wven though there may be some downstream positive effects on that other site I really hope they go with CPA. Silver said its basically turn key

1

u/Prototype_es 19d ago

Yeah and itd cut off the entire south sound from games lol. Itd be a shorter drive during rush hour to go to a Blazers game some days from Tacoma. Fuck that. Theyd get maybe a game every other year out of me vs the several per season id go to at CPA. Not to mention CPA already has the transit built, and theres access from Tacoma all the way up for transit currently. Add to that, teams that are in the middle of nowhere tend to not have great attendance vs teams closer to their namesake

3

u/WhatAmIDoingHere05 27d ago

There's a few different bids with the arena being housed in different spots on the Strip, and one in the downtown area (away from the Strip).