The Seattle Times reports that Chris Hansen’s proposal to build a $490 million, bond-funded arena project could be fatally pierced if President Obama is successful at ending the tax subsidy on bonds for sports venues.
I hope this is true. While I wold enjoy having a basketball team here, why in all hell should the taxpayers subsidize building such luxury facilities where only rich folks will be able to buy tickets?
My other gripe is why do we need more sports venues in SODO? It would be a lot cheaper to update the exiting arena in Seattle Center or put the damn thing on the East Side where there is plenty of money and more space for parking. For that matter, given light rail, maybe put it down south or even in the relatively unused Tacoma Dome?
Not to mention that Hansen’s plan was really about gentrification in SODO
You back?? We need to talk.
as for gentrification, Give me an effin break. SODO is way, way beyond gentrification. It is a typical urban sports/convention cneter ghetto. Isolated from the city, surrounded by moats of parking lots and traffic. The stadia are invasive metastases.
I recall Hansen promising to build this arena with private money. Guess what, he lied, it’s business as usual. Even though 90% of Seattle taxpayers voted against public financing of a half-billion-dollar hoops palace, some rich guy is scheming to build it with the public dime anyway. Democracy? What democracy? Voters don’t count for crap anymore. This country is owned lock, stock, and barrel by the rich and the rest of us are their slaves.
Yes I’m back,
And as to SODO gentrification, there’s still a port, and traffic matters, a lot.
It must be kept in mind that Port Of Seattle not only competes,with the ports of; Vancouver, Oakland, Long Beach and LA,
but with the enlargement of the Panama canal, Houston as well.
And soon enough Ensenada
I do not htink most foks consider “gentrification” as synonym for urbanization vs urban industrialization.
Look att eh issues around the Tunnel. Its main purpose is to build a business corridor from the Port to the canal!
The tunnel cuts off Interbay, Fishermen’s Terminal and Ballard (Which by the cut is still industrial at least until the bike trail goes in)
But the point being there are lots of places for a Basket Ball/Hockey arena, from Everett to Tacoma, to Bremerton to Bellevue.
Why build in SODO?
Without the tunnel, there is NO WAY of truck traffic getting form the south, icluding the port, to the North .. inluuding Fisherman’s terminal, the canal and north … unlesy you think a truck is gong to navigate some traffic filled shoreline causeway. The main arguement for the tunnel is preserving Seattle as =n industrial town!
As fo moving the thing ouside, I agree.
Well they just could rebuild the viaduct, Honolulu has an elevated highway that works rather well.