SEATTLE, WA (CelebrityAccess) — Tim Leiweke and the Oak View Group are competing with his former colleagues at AEG in a bid to oversee the rebuild of Seattle's KeyArena.
According to Venues Today, AEG and Oakview Group, led by Leiweke and music manager Irving Azoff, submitted the only qualifying bids for the contract to rebuild the iconic Seattle arena. Oakview pitched a a $564-million big, while Seattle Partners, an alliance between AEG and real estate company Hudson Pacific Properties, submitted a $520 million bid for the renovation.
The two proposals will be considered by the city, with their final choice to be submitted for the Mayor's approval by the end of June, Venues Today said. As well, an independent proposal by Sodo Arena Group, led by entrepreneur Chris Hansen, is seeking to build an entirely new arena, though the city council has passed on previous bids by Hansen and company to build a new arena and entertainment district in the city.
According to Venues Today, OVG's bid a 660,000 sq.-ft. venue. It will have 18,350 seats for basketball, 17,100 seats for hockey and a concert capacity of 17,100, with the venue completed by 2020. Seattle Partners are proposing a slightly smaller arena, only 600,000 sq.-ft., with a capacity of 18,113 for basketball, 17,120 for hockey and 19,202 for concerts. – Staff Writers
