Look out, Tukwila: Seattle is apparently upping its game in the competition for a National Hockey League arena, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. Los Angeles real estate executive Victor Coleman has been trying to bring a professional hockey team to Seattle, hopefully in the SoDo neighborhood of the city. But he's been unable to reach a deal with Chris Hansen, who owns the land and properties where the arena would be built. Last week, the Business Journal reports,Seattle Mayor Ed Murray met with Hansen to speak with him about tweaking the deal a little and a spokesman for the mayor said that Murray is committed to getting an arena built in the city that can serve as a home to a pro hockey team. Coleman has also mentioned that he has looked at another site, but did not say where this mysterious site is located.
Another kink in the deal stems from part of an agreement that Hansen signed on the $64.7 million property of the proposed arena site. The memorandum of understanding states that Hansen must have a team before he can build the arena and that a pro basketball team must come before a pro hockey team. Further complicating the deal is the NBA, which has no plans to bring a team to Seattle, though the NHL seems more than happy to consider it.
