Written by A recent commenter called me on my quip about “major league sports teams our citizens don’t want.” And he/she was right, there are some citizens who wanted this. It was an exciting proposal in some ways, and I don’t blame the commenter or anyone for wanting to have local access to events. I should have said “that a majority of citizens don’t seem to want. ” The majority that I heard from seemed to have serious concerns about getting home during game days, and other issues. I personally liked the idea of having an arena for concerts and events, but became concerned about how much it would cost our city to maintain it and police it over the next two-decades. Virtually all of the taxes from the arena were slated to go back into the state financing for it, which would make it a financial liability for Renton (unless it got more private funding).
Here is some of the citizen feedback I received about the Sonics Arena proposal. Click HERE Other input came in though email, which can be viewed at city hall.
Maybe the Mayor will use the Sonics study as an example of what she accomplished in last year’s budget when she presents the budget Denis will get to implement in 2008 at Monday’s council meeting.
Just the thought of how much she’s going to be campaigning while presenting the budget nauseates me. Please, Randy, interrupt her if she gets out of line.
On a relatively similar note (hey, it all has to do with spending money), I got a flyer in the mail about the upcoming Coal Creek Parkway project. Thank you for funding projects like that… it’s great to see Renton step up when regional players can’t get their act together and fix the freeways in SE King County. Since it’s being bid in December 2007, does that mean that it will qualify for being delivered during the Mayor’s term? Will she demand a plaque?
Just limit her to three minutes like the rest of us…
🙂
I want to see the numbers when you say majority, is it the majority of people you talk to? or that comment on your myspaces? or on this site?
And don’t you think the concerts would cause way to much traffic?
That site showed it about 50/50 about wanting an arena reading all the comments. Especially when you take out the off topic comments so where is the “majority” coming from.
There was a real poll done of Renton residents (I think Marcie Maxwell was involved), but the results were never released to the public…
And she was against the sonics coming
Sonics
This is Marcie Maxwell – speaking for myself – as the person above felt free to say “she’s against the Sonics” in my name. I will tell you that I am personally a long time Sonics season ticket holder (affordable seats on the third level) and have been a Sonics fan since the 1970’s when I attended their world championship parade in Downtown Seattle. I’ve always loved basketball and even kept stats for our basketball team in my high school days.
The polling I did was asking for opinions from our Kennydale Neighborhood Association members. The KNA board expressed concerns about the arena so I wanted to make sure our members had a chance to give us their opinions. A large number of neighbors did chime in – and I shared our neighbors complete comments with the KNA board, the North Renton Neighborhood Association board, city council, mayor, city staff, and others. Some neighbors felt the arena would be a fun venue to have close by, would bring more interest to Renton, they might attend an event there, etc. And some neighbors felt the traffic issues created would be unacceptable as game and concert attendees would use several freeway exits and entrances as well as surface streets, some were concerned about additional crime and law enforcement and litter issues, some felt this venue would cut our neighborhood off from The Landing and Downtown Renton, others were concerned about potential expense to Renton and how long / short term the team would stay here anyway, etc.
The city then brought in potential consultants for us to meet who might be liaisons to the neighborhoods if this did happen. One of those consultants lived on Lower Queen Anne close to Key Arena and proudly announced that his neighborhood and its association would be more than pleased to have to Sonics leave Key Arena due to traffic, litter, and crime issues on game days (So he was supposed to help us???)
My observations:
– As it turns out, its likely that the Sonics owner may not have been so serious about Renton.
– I still remember attending the first game at the “new” Key Arena just eleven years ago.
– I don’t think Mr. Bennett or the city fully determined costs expectations for Renton.
– It seems like the mayor set aside every day and several weeks to devote to campaigning with and for the Sonics.
– I still love basketball and my Sonics team!
Re: Sonics
From what I understand a large mall will have the same issues of crime, litter, and traffic on a much more year round constant basis so do you want the Landing here as well?
Can you please post these numbers as a service to the City of Renton.
Can you please post these numbers as a service to the City of Renton.