KeyArena

KeyArena
Full name	KeyArena at Seattle Center
Former names	Washington State Pavilion (1962) Washington State Coliseum (1962-64) Seattle Center Coliseum (1964-94)
Location	305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109-4623
Broke ground	May 12, 1960 (1960-05-12)[1]
Opened	April 21, 1962 (1962-04-21)
Renovated	1964, 1994-95
Owner	City of Seattle
Operator	AEG
Construction cost	$7 million[2] ($55.2 million in 2014 dollars[ 1]) $74.5 million (1995 renovation) ($117 million in 2014 dollars[ 1])
Architect	Paul Thiry
Structural engineer	Peter Hostmark,[3]
General contractor	Howard S. Wright Construction[4]
Capacity	17,000
Website	Venue Website
Tenants
Seattle Redhawks (NCAA) (1963–80, 2008–present) Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) (1967–78, 1985–94, 1995–2008) Seattle Totems CHL) (1974–75) Seattle Breakers (WHL) (1977-84) Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) (1995-2009) Seattle SeaDogs (CISL) (1995–97) Washington Huskies (NCAA) (1999–2000) Seattle Storm (WNBA) (2000-present) Rat City Rollergirls (WFTDA) (2009–present)

The KeyArena (formerly the Washington State Pavilion, Washington State Coliseum and Seattle Center Coliseum) is a multi-purpose arena in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the 74-acre (300,000 m²) entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition.^[5] It is used for entertainment purposes, such as concerts, ice shows, circuses, and sporting events.

It has a seating capacity of 17,072 for basketball games,^[5] 15,177 for ice hockey games and ice shows, 16,641 for end-stage concerts, and 17,459 for center-stage concerts and boxing. Risers hold 7,440 on the upper level and up to 7,741 on the lower level, with luxury suites adding another 1,160 seats.

The arena's current primary tenants are the Seattle University men's basketball team and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.^[5] The Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team are currently the arena's longest-serving tenant, having played in the arena from 1963–1980 and 2009 to present.^[6] Rat City Rollergirls of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association have been a tenant since 2009.^[7][8] KeyArena is now the permanent home of the Pacific-12 Conference's women's basketball tournament.

KeyArena was also home to the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, WHL Seattle Totems and the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds. On July 2, 2008, the Oklahoma City-based ownership group of the SuperSonics reached a settlement deal with the City of Seattle, releasing the team from the last two years of their lease with the city and allowing the team to relocate to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 NBA season. After 41 seasons in Seattle (and Tacoma), the team became the Oklahoma City Thunder and the owners agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo, and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise.^[9] The Thunderbirds, who had called the Seattle Center Coliseum and KeyArena home for 32 years, followed the SuperSonics out the door at the end of 2008 for a new arena in nearby Kent.

KeyArena was the first publicly financed arena in the area to be fully supported by earned income from the building.^[10] Following the 2008 settlement with the SuperSonics after relocation to Oklahoma City, KeyArena finances were bolstered for several years by a settlement fund but the current level of activity and revenue leaves little reserve beyond basic building upkeep.^[11]

History

Seattle Center Coliseum

The arena began life in 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion for the Century 21 Exposition, the work of architect Paul Thiry. After the close of the Exposition the Pavilion was remodeled as the Washington State Coliseum, one of the centerpieces of the new Seattle Center (the former Exposition grounds). When the newly renovated Coliseum opened the Seattle University men's basketball team became the arena's first major tenant. The Coliseum became home to the Seattle SuperSonics beginning with their inaugural season in 1967 and remained so throughout most of the team's lifetime.^[12] The Washington State Coliseum would later be renamed the Seattle Center Coliseum; operated by the City of Seattle and named after the Seattle Center grounds.

The Seattle Center Coliseum was the site of the only NBA game that was ever forfeited on account of rain. On January 5, 1986 the Sonics were hosting the Phoenix Suns during a rainstorm. Rain from the Coliseum roof leaked onto the court. Timeouts were called so ball boys armed with towels could do their best to stay ahead of the puddles, but even so, two players slipped and fell on the wet surface. Finally, during the second half, referee Mike Mathis called the game.^[13]

The arena also hosted the 1974 NBA All-Star Game on January 15, 1974.

The arena hosted the basketball competitions of the 1990 Goodwill Games.^[14]

Additionally, the arena has hosted concerts by many famous artists, spanning many different genres. On August 21, 1964 and August 25, 1966, The Beatles performed at the arena. A notable performance by Metallica was in 1989, when they were supporting the Damaged Justice Tour. Their performance at the Coliseum was one of their first large arena concerts and it was filmed for their live album, Live Shit: Binge and Purge.

Rebirth as KeyArena

The Coliseum was rebuilt between 1994 and 1995, bringing the arena up to NBA standards of the day. The local Seattle office of NBBJ, the second largest architectural firm in the country, was chosen as the architects.^[15] In an unusual move, the Coliseum would be closed for a year during the renovation. Construction began on June 16, 1994.^[5] In the interim, the SuperSonics played their home games at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, about 30 miles (50 km) south.

On April 11, 1995, the city sold the naming rights to Cleveland-based KeyCorp, the parent of KeyBank, which renamed the Coliseum as KeyArena.^[16] The renovation cost the city of Seattle $74.5 million and the SuperSonics approximately $21 million. The naming rights cost KeyCorp $15.1 million.

The remodeled arena maintained the architectural integrity of the original roofline by using the existing steel trusses in combination with four new main diagonal trusses. The wood, steel and concrete from the demolition was either reused in construction of the new arena or sold to recyclers. The original acoustical panels, the panels attached to the roof that keep the space from echoing, were refurbished and reused. The court was lowered 35 feet (10.5 m) below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats. The doors opened on the newly renovated arena on October 26, 1995. The sightlines, however, benefitted the SuperSonics at the expense of the junior Thunderbirds, with a scoreboard that was significantly off-center in a hockey configuration, hanging over one blue line instead of the center-ice faceoff circle.

The first regular season game for the SuperSonics was played on November 4, 1995, against the Los Angeles Lakers.^[17] It hosted the 1996 NBA Finals, when the SuperSonics lost to the Chicago Bulls. The last SuperSonics game played there was on April 13, 2008, a 99–95 win over the Dallas Mavericks.^[18]

Once KeyArena lost the SuperSonics and the Thunderbirds, there was speculation that KeyBank may try to amend the naming rights deal.^[19] In March 2009, the city and KeyCorp signed a new deal for a two-year term ending December 31, 2010, at an annual fee of $300,000.^[16]

Diana Ross was scheduled to perform during her Return to Love Tour on July 24, 2000, but the show was cancelled, due to low ticket sales.

In 2009, the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team began playing their home games at KeyArena for the first time since 1980. In February 2009, the Seattle City Council approved a new 10-year lease that would keep the WNBA's Storm at KeyArena.^[20]

In 2009, the arena hosted the WWE No Way Out Pay-Per-View event and returned two years later to host the WWE Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 22, 2011. The WWE returned to KeyArena on December 9, 2011.

In April 2011, the Professional Bull Riders brought the Built Ford Tough Series to KeyArena for the first time.^[21]

Between June 28 and June 30, 2011, it played host to the Seattle audition stages in the first season of the Fox singer search program The X Factor.

On January 21, 2011, Seattle Center announced that KeyCorp will not renew its agreement for naming rights of the KeyArena, after 15 years of sponsorship. The venue will remain known as KeyArena until a new sponsor is found.^[22]

In January 2012, ESPN.com reporter Scott Burnside said an NHL team playing in KeyArena "would be entirely acceptable," as a temporary venue for a franchise, depending on a future arena plan.^[23] The Phoenix Coyotes were often speculated to be a likely candidate for relocation and in June 2013, reports circulated that if the NHL could not negotiate a new lease for the Coyotes with the city of Glendale, Arizona by July 2, the league would sell the team to a private investment group which would then be given permission to relocate the team to Seattle prior to the 2013-2014 season and use KeyArena as a temporary home.^[24] On July 2, the city of Glendale, Arizona approved a new lease for the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena, and soon after, the NHL approved the sale of the Coyotes to an investment group that will keep the Coyotes in the Phoenix area, eliminating the possibility that the Coyotes could move to Seattle.

Conversely, in February 2012, SB Nation columnist Travis Hughs said that "KeyArena is so poorly designed for hockey that even a single season there would be unacceptable", referring to the arrangement of seating on only one end of the rink, a consequence of the renovation favoring basketball-type bleacher arrangements - the same problems with sight lines that caused the Thunderbirds to negotiate for a new arena nearby. Hughs wrote "It's pretty bad when the center-hanging scoreboard is positioned over the blue line, not center ice. Half the building is completely unsuitable for viewing hockey. Even on just a temporary basis, playing NHL hockey in a building where half the lower bowl is sectioned off is just unacceptable. Imagine watching a game played here on TV: The camera pans over to the right, catching a play in the corner, and you can't see a single fan in the stands. Embarrassing, really."^[25]

In February 2012, KING 5 reporter Chris Daniels said an NBA team could also use the KeyArena as a temporary home.^[26]

In July 2012, at a public town hall meeting debating Chris Hansen's proposed NBA/NHL arena in downtown Seattle, anti-arena proponents wanted to 're-explore' using KeyArena instead of the proposed site downtown.^[27] The environmental reviews required for the building approval are, as of February 2013, exploring alternate sites that include the KeyArena site and the nearby Memorial Stadium site in addition to Mr. Hansen's preferred site near the Mariners' SafeCo Field parking garage.^[28]

From December 11-13, 2013, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis became the first Seattle-based act ever to play three consecutive sold-out shows at the KeyArena when the duo concluded their 2013 World Tour in support of their album The Heist.^[29]

Controversy

In late 2004, proposals for expanding KeyArena to nearly twice its current size to accommodate new restaurants, shops, and a practice court (the cost was estimated at $220 million) were debated. These proposals never came to fruition and were cited by current and former SuperSonics' owners as a reason KeyArena is no longer viable.

Prior to the SuperSonics relocating to Oklahoma City, NBA commissioner David Stern favored and agreed with owner Clayton Bennett that KeyArena was not adequate enough for an NBA venue. Fans of the SuperSonics support group Save Our Sonics called Stern a "hypocrite" and presented tapes of him years before when KeyArena reopened after renovations showing Stern approving and complimenting the arena himself.^[30]

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to KeyArena.

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  KeyArena's main entrance.

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  KeyArena's main entrance.

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  Interior of KeyArena.

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  Panorama of the interior of KeyArena.

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  KeyArena's hockey seating configuration.

References

External links

• Official website
• Seattle Center   Key Arena