The city of Seattle, which owns and operates KeyArena, is redeveloping the venue in coming years, a move that city officials hope will help the arena thrive as the area’s surroundings continue to grow.
On June 11, the city put out a Request for Proposals, asking bidders to submit formal ideas on how to either redevelop the entire arena or renovate the building.
“It could be a complete tear down and redevelopment of the property,” said Joe Mirabella, communications director for Seattle’s Office of Economic Development. “We want it to meet the requirements of the NBA [National Basketball Association].”
In 2009, the NBA left KeyArena and, although the venue has been successful making up for the downfall in business, the city wants the NBA back in Seattle, Mirabella said.
RFPs are due to the city by 5 p.m. April 12.
Specifically, the RFP states:
• The City of Seattle, through its Office of Economic Development (OED), invites proposals from qualified parties interested in redeveloping and operating KeyArena at Seattle Center as a world-class civic arena presenting music, entertainment and sports events, including the potential for NBA and NHL [National Hockey League] events.
• The area available for redevelopment includes the existing KeyArena, as well as the 1st
Ave N parking garage and adjacent parking lot and support areas located on city-owned property on the Seattle Center campus.
KeyArena is one of the main venues at the Seattle Center, that’s located near big tech firms and media companies. Recently, Facebook announced it will open a large office in Seattle and, with the surrounding businesses continuing to grow, boosting the quality of KeyArena is important to city officials, Mirabella said.
“We have a unique opportunity to reimagine KeyArena and continue the growth and redevelopment of Seattle Center,” said Mayor Ed Murray in a statement. “There is significant interest in working with the city of Seattle to create a civic arena that fulfills the current and future needs of our growing city that serves the greatest number of community members. I, along with others at the city, am looking forward to reviewing proposals with the community. We are 100 percent committed to finding the best deal for Seattleites.”
Another important aspect of the RFP is to help Seattle Center become a designated landmark in the city, as the 74-acre campus is now 56 years old.
After a building turns 50 years old, it’s capable of going through the landmark designation process, Mirabella said.