PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA                      Item No.         7a 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting     September 24, 2013 
DATE:      September 18, 2013 
TO:       Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:     Mike Merritt, Manager, Puget Sound/Washington Government Relations 
Geri Poor, Regional Transportation Manager 
SUBJECT:   Update on the Proposed SODO Sports Arena Environmental Impact
Statement 
SYNOPSIS 
The City of Seattle has released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and
Economic Impact Analysis on the proposed sports arena to be located at 1700 First
Avenue South within the Duwamish Manufacturing-Industrial Center just north of
Holgate Street. 
Comments on the draft EIS are due September 30. Port staff currently is analyzing the
DEIS and will prepare a comment letter for submission to the city. Staff will provide a
briefing on our preliminary findings and conclusions about the EIS and the economic
impact analysis. 

BACKGROUND 
The proposed sports and entertainment project was announced by developer Chris
Hansen and officials of Seattle and King County on February 16, 2012. The Seattle and
King County councils approved an interlocal agreement and memorandum of agreement
with the investment group on October 15, 2012. 
The proposed action is the future construction of a 20,000-seat sports facility of
approximately 750,000 square feet.  The arena has been proposed as a home for both
professional basketball and hockey, as well as a venue for concerts, flat shows and
exhibitions. 
The proposed action also includes the vacation of a portion of Occidental Avenue S.
between S. Holgate Street and S. Massachusetts Street.  Parking is proposed to be
provided by off-site commercial parking lots. 
The EIS considered four alternatives: a no-action alternative; the proposed project; an
18,000 seat arena at the SODO site; a 20,000-seat arena on the site of the KeyArena at

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
September 18, 2013 
Page 2 of 3 
Seattle Center; and a 20,000-seat arena at the location of the Seattle School District's
Memorial Stadium. 
The arena would be financed by a combination of private investment and contributions
from Seattle and King County tax revenues up to $200 million.  Before public funds
could flow to the project, however, the developer must secure permits and the street
vacation for the project, certain financial guarantees, and an NBA team with a nonrelocation
agreement. The NBA, however, turned down a bid by the ownership group for
the Sacramento Kings team and there is no immediate prospect of securing a team. 
The Port, along with other stakeholders in the maritime and industrial communities, has
expressed support for the return of NBA basketball to Seattle.
The Port's analysis of the SODO site, however, has identified a number of concerns: 
Development of the arena will result in increased pressure to change zoning and
land uses within the Duwamish manufacturing and industrial center (MIC),
potentially harming the long-term economic viability and the growth of familywage
jobs in the area. 
A third sports arena within the constrained Stadium Overlay and Transition
District was never envisioned, and the area lacks sufficient transportation capacity
and parking to accommodate the major new use, which may result in increased
congestion and reduced safety on the streets. 
The arena proposal has not been subject to thorough review of alternative sites,
and the Port has called for the City to review sites outside of the city. 
Transportation mitigation for the project has neither been identified nor funded. 
The Port, the City and stakeholders are currently undertaking a number of positive
efforts to promote growth and improve the business climate within the industrial
and manufacturing sectors; those efforts should be completed before proceeding
with a major new facility within the Duwamish MIC. 
The Duwamish industrial center connects vital international trade, manufacturing and
transportation interests all at a crossroads in the heart of Seattle.  It has a growing
employment base of 50,000, a thriving seaport and busy warehouse, manufacturing and
distribution centers served by two interstate highways and two major rail hubs connecting
the region to markets around the U.S.  The Duwamish industrial center is also home to
King County Metro, Sound Transit and Amtrak maintenance facilities.
Export and manufactured goods from throughout Washington converge on this area,
including aerospace products, equipment, seafood, and agricultural products from Eastern
Washington and Idaho, with products arriving by rail across the northern tier of the
United States.  While as much as 70 percent of imported goods move by rail to the
American Midwest, the remainder move by truck to the Kent Valley, Green River Valley,
local distribution centers around the state and across multi-state networks on to Montana,
Oregon, Alaska and Utah.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
September 18, 2013 
Page 3 of 3 

The value of two-way trade moving through the Port of Seattle was more than $43 billion
last year, generating 33,000 jobs in King County and $450 million in state and local taxes
from the Port of Seattle marine terminals in the Duwamish.  Over half of all export
cargomost of which comes from within the state and the Pacific Northwestis trucked
to the marine terminals.  These key truck routes are east of First Avenue S., and involve
the  interstate  highway  system,  accessed  by  Edgar  Martinez  Drive-Atlantic  Street,
Spokane Street and East Marginal Way. 
Current and future investment by state and local governments, and railroads, totals more
than $5.5 billion in infrastructure in the Duwamish, including the state's replacement of
the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a new bored tunnel and other vital improvements.  This
infrastructure will speed the movement of people and goods via road, freight rail,
passenger rail, light rail, commuter rail, transit, commercial vehicle and private auto. 
The stadium overlay district in city planning was adopted to support and mitigate the two
existing stadiums and to create a buffer with the adjacent industrial areas.  The road
network was designed originally to include major road projects for trucks to travel
between and around the stadiums to reach the marine cargo terminals and rail facilities
west of First Avenue South, and the highways, roads and railroad lines east of First
Avenue. The network was not completed as planned, resulting in chronic congestion on
east-west routes for freight, transit and auto traffic. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
Computer slide presentation. 
Port of Seattle EIS scoping letter. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS, BRIEFINGS AND STATEMENTS 
May 22, 2012  letter to Seattle and King County councils on port concerns
with proposed arena. 
August 7, 2102  briefing and motion calling for a full programmatic EIS prior
to approval of arena project. 
September 11, 2012  statement on proposed City-County agreement with arena
investment group. 
January 8, 2013  roundtable on industrial area challenges and opportunities.