SEATTLE -- Tonight we sit down with investor Chris Hansen, who continues the effort to bring the NBA and NHL to Seattle – a topic we’ve spent a lot of time discussing lately.



Why? Because public perception is critical. Misconceptions helped sink their case last May – and many still exist, including those about Hansen himself.









For years now, critics have questioned Hansen’s intentions. To them, he’s just a hedge fund manager looking for a profit. “How can we trust him?” they ask. “No one does this out of the good of their heart. Look at Howard Schultz, who touted ‘civic duty’ as the Sonics owner, but then took the money. Look at that snake, Clay Bennett. We’ve been down this road before.”



Except, we haven’t. Because Schultz and Bennett were all about deception and the quick buck. And it’s pretty clear that any developer whose primary motivations were for profit would’ve abandoned this SODO Arena project a long, long time ago.



Instead, Hansen has jumped through every hurdle the city has asked, adding more money – more concessions – every step of the way with the patience of a saint.



Completely privately financed arena? You got it. More transportation money? Sure. Scheduling agreements? Yep. No construction until there’s a team secured? Uh huh. A Labor Peace Agreement. Youth Organization Partnerships. Ticket affordability packages for low and middle-income families.



You want a guy who has bent over backwards to make this thing work? The original plans called for Valet bike parking, staff bike parking, garage bike parking, bike racks on First Avenue, bike racks on Holgate St., and two Pronto bike stations (How’d Pronto work out, anyway?).



And let’s also compare: Hansen’s community benefits package, which includes an $8 million Public Art Plan, is now up to $27 million.



The Washington State Convention Center’s expansion costs three times the arena at an estimated $1.6 billion, and their proposed community benefits package is a measly $12 million! Did I also mention they’re asking for three alley vacations and the land under two existing streets?



The point is this: I don’t know Hansen that well, but I’ve been around him enough to believe his intentions are pure. Apparently Russell Wilson does too. He’s a Rainier Valley native who celebrated the Sonics first title in 1979 and once washed dishes for the owners of T.S. McHugh’s. His one mistake in this entire process was helping fund an anti-arena referendum in Sacramento, proving his devotion to bringing the NBA back to his native home.



Meanwhile, the Port of Seattle is now spending $185,000 (where’s that money coming from?) on a consulting firm to help them refine their Communications and Outreach Plan, obtained by a public records request.



Among their goals and objectives? Broadening the voices opposing the street vacation and opposing non-industrial development in SODO, and building public support for the KeyArena proposal instead. AKA: Bash SODO, promote The Key. Not surprising, considering the questionable things we uncovered here a couple weeks ago.



So when you hear the term “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” maybe Hansen’s not the one the skeptics should peg.



I just ask the critics of the SODO Arena project to dig deeper and understand it in full before jumping on the bandwagon of those PR-driven and ill-conceived conclusions.