Video: Political leaders hope to secure financing for new arena, team

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SEATTLE – The team known to Seattle fans as the SuperSonics took the first steps Thursday to move to Oklahoma City.

State lawmakers took the first steps to bring the NBA back. But whether it is high enough on the list of priorities of legislators in Olympia remains to be seen.

On Wednesday, both the City of Seattle and Sonics owner Clay Bennett announced a settlement in the KeyArena lease lawsuit. It allows the Sonics to break the last two years of the lease for $75 million dollars of that. $30 million of that comes in five years if Seattle doesn't get another team.

But, before that can happen, KeyArena has to be improved to NBA standards.

Part of the settlement calls for the Washington state Legislature to authorize funding for a portion of a KeyArena remodel by the end of next year.

Speaker of the House Frank Chopp tells KING 5 News there are higher priorities, but some elected leaders will sit down this month to see if a solution is possible.

"What we would like to ask the basketball fans to do is to join us in going to the Legislature and having the Legislature give us the tools in renovating KeyArena," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "We then have a committed local ownership. We have a facility that the NBA has approved and we have the 13th largest market in America."

"They have created a situation where they are expecting us to do something and it's not clear what they have in mind," said Rep. Ross Hunter. "I didn't see (NBA Commissioner) David Stern jumping up and down saying he can't wait to get a new team in Seattle."

Hunter is skeptical about the future for KeyArena and he holds an important voice, serving on a new task force which will study state funding options for local projects like the arena.

"If the city comes to us saying we think you need to spend public money subsidizing pro basketball, I think that's a non starter," said Hunter.

But he is open to a new idea being floated around Seattle City Hall for a $300 million arena renovation which includes $150 million from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's group, $75 million from Seattle and another $75 generated by taking one percent from an existing state convention center tax on hotel and motel guests.

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Dino Rossi suggested Thursday that he would support the remodel if elected, but says that things like the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the State Route 520 Floating Bridge and other causes will be higher priorities next year.

"You have education, transportation, fiscal train wreck coming up right now, but it's part of the fabric," said Rossi.

"Those are all more important than solving this problem and it will get more attention than solving this problem," added Hunter.

Gov. Christine Gregoire released a statement on Thursday about the task force.

"I look forward to thorough recommendation, so we can proceed in the best interests of taxpayers," she writes.

The task force, which includes three senators and three representatives from both sides of the aisle meets later this month.

The settlement doesn't cover a pending lawsuit filed by Starbucks Corp. chairman Howard Schultz, who is seeking to regain control of the team he sold to Bennett in 2006 for $350 million. Schultz claims that Bennett didn't follow through on an agreement to negotiate in good faith for a new arena in Seattle for one full year before seeking relocation options.

The settlement does include a provision that allows the Sonics name, history and team colors to stay in Seattle for a new team to adopt.

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