Court victory for Sodo arena -- now all we need is a team
SEATTLE -- A courtroom victory for the new Sodo arena feels a little hollow without a team to put in it.
According to the city of Seattle, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that the agreement between Seattle, King County and Chris Hansen did not violate state environmental laws.
The original suit was brought by the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 19. They lost their suit, and their appeal was denied Monday.
This leaves the door open for Seattle and Hansen's group to pursue their dream of a $490 million sports arena to host basketball and hockey games and other events.
"Our office has worked hard to ensure that the review process for the proposed arena complies with SEPA," city attorney Pete Holmes said. "I am pleased the court agrees with us."
The Seattle Times reported the ILWU will now shift the focus of its fight to challenging the Draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the city last month. Port workers are concerned crowds of sports fans would clog the streets that lead to port facilities, slowing down port traffic and putting their jobs in jeopardy.