Hansen reportedly buys more SoDo property with 'goal of bringing the Sonics back'

SEATTLE – Chris Hansen isn’t done trying to bring the Seattle SuperSonics back.

The San Francisco-based investor bought two more parcels of land in the SoDo neighborhood, his representative told Q13 News.

And according to reports, yes, Hansen plans to use the land as part of his effort to bring the NBA franchise back to Seattle.

“We’re assembling all of this with the goal of bringing the Sonics back,” Hansen’s representative, William Vipond, told the Daily Journal of Commerce.

Hansen reportedly n ow owns just over 12 acres of property in the neighborhood after buying the two parcels at 1900 Occidental Ave. S. and 2228 Occidental Ave. S.

A group led by Hansen was moving through the process of building an arena at 1700 First Ave. S that was intended to house both NBA and NHL teams, but the project was derailed last spring when the city council voted against granting a street vacation of a portion of Occidental that would’ve been necessary to commence construction.

Hansen’s group has a memorandum of understanding with the city that will provide a public partnership in building the arena, but that expires in November 2017 if he hasn’t yet acquired an NBA franchise.