Chris Hansen: No hockey-first plan just yet for proposed arena

SEATTLE (AP) — The investor attempting to build a new basketball and hockey arena in Seattle says his group has yet to be presented with a plan that would have a hockey franchise as the first occupant of the facility.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Chris Hansen said despite speculation about Seattle being a potential NHL expansion market, there has yet to be any formal proposal that would allow for arena construction to begin with only a hockey franchise secured.

The original memorandum of understanding between Hansen's group, the city of Seattle and King County calls for arena construction only to begin after the acquisition of a basketball franchise. A revised MOU for a hockey-first scenario would need to be approved by local governments and likely require more private investment.

“We’ve had a lot of informal discussions with people about this, but us or the city have yet to be presented with any kind of offer. I mean any kind of even basic offer that would be the opening point for negotiating something,” Hansen said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The original MOU calls for arena construction to begin only after the acquisition of a basketball franchise. A revised MOU for a hockey-first scenario would need to be approved by local governments and likely require more private investment, the Associated Press reported.