Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw said she was, "excited about Seattle Center becoming the center of Seattle again." Photo by Joe Veyera

Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw said she was, "excited about Seattle Center becoming the center of Seattle again." Photo by Joe Veyera

Weeks after the Oak View Group received more than 30,000 season-ticket deposits for a potential NHL franchise in less than 48 hours; eager hockey fans were among the hundreds to get a look Saturday at the potential seating configuration of a revamped KeyArena.

The first schematic design images of the seating layout for the $600 million project were the biggest update unveiled during the latest arena design open house at the Seattle Center Pavilion.

The displays presented Saturday showed seven separate levels for the venue, with the atrium entrance and upper concourse at-grade. Below it sit the suite level, main concourse, and event level — descending 60 feet — with the “Space Needle Club” level, bridge level (with press boxes), and catwalks above. OVG has previously stated that the venue's capacity will range from 17,100 for hockey, to 18,350 for basketball, and just over 19,000 in the concert setting.

Along with those designs, attendees were also able to learn more about — and give input on — the art plans for the site, along with the public realm plans for the three plazas and existing north courtyard that will surround the venue.

In brief public remarks, OVG Seattle director Lance Lopes referenced the crowds gathered outside from the March for Our Lives as an indication of the role Seattle Center plays as a broader community hub.

“This is one of the reasons why we’re so excited about this project,” Lopes said, “is because this really is the heart of Seattle, and we’re seeing that heart beat today.”

Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw praised OVG and Lopes for their work and open dialogue with the community thus far.

“When he and I first got together and talked last January when the RFP opened, I said to him, ‘You got to get to know the community,’” Bagshaw said. “’You need to reach out to Uptown, Belltown, and South Lake Union, and get to know what the neighbors are looking for in this entire area.’”

The third-term councilmember also expressed her enthusiasm for the future of the center campus, which sits in her district.

“I am excited about Seattle Center becoming the center of Seattle again,” Bagshaw said. “The arena is a big part of that — not the only part, but they are driving this.”

In conjunction with the open house, OVG also launched a new online survey Saturday (https://survature.com/s/SCA2020) to take additional input on the plans. It will remain open through April 20.

The timeline for the arena project calls for demolition to start in the fall, after the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement and both the landmarks and design processes. The current calendar for KeyArena provides some insight into when exactly work could begin.

Originally scheduled for Oct. 18-21, the annual Seattle/King County Clinic was recently moved to Sept. 20-23, with a Childish Gambino concert on Sept. 29 currently the last event officially announced. Reports last month suggested an NBA exhibition game between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors was tentatively planned for early October, but that has yet to be confirmed. If finalized, the game could be the final event before the venue renovation gets underway.

If the project remains on schedule, the new arena would open in October 2020.

For more information on the project, visit www.newarenaatseattlecenter.com. To comment on this story, write to QAMagNews@nwlink.com.