The two firms bidding to complete an extensive overhaul to KeyArena have presented details on their traffic plans, a major factor in both proposals.
Oak View Group and Seattle Partners–the latter of which includes AEG and Hudson Pacific Properties–responded to a request for proposal (RFP) that was previously issued by the City of Seattle. More details about the plans of each firm have been revealed since the April 12 RFP deadline, with some of the most recent information detailing how the bids plan to address traffic surrounding KeyArena.
The access for events will be an area that is discussed as officials consider whether to follow through with renovating the venue at Seattle Center. Thus far, the firms are both focusing on specific details–including public transportation, easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists, improved parking, and plans to accommodate taxi and ridesharing (e.g. Uber, Lyft) options.
Those are some of the broader goals of both bids, though there are some contrasts in how the firms plan to specifically improve access and parking at KeyArena. More from The Seattle Times:
The basic premise of both groups is similar — expanding the parking perimeter to include more spots — but their investment strategies differ.
Seattle Partners envisions using Westlake Center as a key arrival and departure point and has pledged spending up to $1.5 million on two transportation “mobility hubs” to bridge the final mile-long distance between it and the venue.
OVG has targeted a shorter, three-quarter-mile radius from the venue for locating additional parking. It also plans to build an 850-stall parking garage next to the arena, but only if it first secures public funding via the Port of Seattle.
“Expanding the available parking supply to within a 15-minute walk (approximately three-quarters of a mile) of (the arena) increases the available parking supply by over 3,200 parking stalls for a total of 11,350 stalls,” the 109-page OVG proposal states.
There are some other unique aspects to both bids. Oak View Group proposes the development of an app that would ease the parking situation by assisting drivers in locating spaces and paying for them in advance, while Seattle Partners’ plan for mobility hubs would accommodate multiple transportation options between Westlake Center and KeyArena. Oak View Group is also seeking to assist in an expansion of the monorail platform at Westlake Center.
Both proposals are designed in a way that would renovate KeyArena to modern NBA and NHL standards. In addition to the proposals for KeyArena, Seattle has another arena option on the table, as developer Chris Hansen has proposed the construction of a new venue in the city’s Sodo neighborhood.
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