New Seattle NBA/NHL Arena Progress Report

Seattle’s plans for a new NBA/NHL arena have continued to progress even though the media attention has died down significantly since the failed attempt at purchasing the Sacramento Kings.

Yesterday, Chris Hansen, along with his partners released a statement regarding the Environmental Impact Survey the city is conducting as well as where Mayor Murray stands on the matter.

"We know things have seemed pretty quiet on the arena front the past several months but there is a lot going on. So as we head into Super Bowl weekend we wanted to take a minute to give you all a quick update.First, we want to thank Mayor Murray for his leadership. Not only has he asked his staff to look for ways to streamline and speed-up the Environmental Review Process, on his way to Washington DC last week he stopped by the NBA to meet with Commissioner Silver and express the city’s commitment to do its part to bring the NBA back to Seattle. That’s great.The Commissioner was very positive about Seattle but couldn’t make any commitments at this point, which is really to be expected. While we understand both Sonics fans’ and the Mayor’s disappointment, the most important task at hand remains getting the EIS process wrapped-up so we will be in the position to take advantages of future opportunities that arise, which can happen quickly and without years of advance notice that building an arena requires.The EIS is moving along at a good pace and we are getting close to having that part of the process finished. There are a few remaining issues that need to be addressed but good progress is being made and we are confident things will be wrapped-up soon. We will do our best to keep you all posted as we move forward.Our commitment to bring the Sonics back to Seattle is as strong today as it was the first day we announced the arena project – or the day of the great rally we all enjoyed at Occidental Park. The process has been exhaustive and at times frustrating, but in the end we will have completed a big step toward our goal of bringing NBA basketball back to Seattle.Finally, we want to send a big thanks to all of you. You have stood by us from the beginning and we appreciate that more than you know.GO HAWKS!— Chris Hansen, Wally Walker, Pete Nordstrom, Erik Nordstrom"

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