Report: Chicago businessman exploring Eastside arena
KIRO/7 reports that Donald Levin, a Chicago tobacco merchant and movie producer who also owns a minor-league hockey franchise, has spent time recently on the Eastside, where he met with “stakeholders” about constructing a new arena that could accommodate both National Hockey League and National Basketball Association franchises.
Levin owns the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, recently named the farm team for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. In February, the Canucks were reportedly interested in purchasing the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets and moving them to Vancouver.
Both professional leagues are plagued by financial problems. The NHL has a handful of troubled franchises in the Sun Belt and just saw the Atlanta franchise relocate to Winnipeg. The NBA says 22 of its 30 teams are losing money, and next season may be lost because the league and the players are miles apart on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Just this week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, long thought to be the leading suitor for an NBA team to replace the departed SuperSonics, said the return of the NBA to this area was a “real estate problem,” meaning a sufficient arena on a suitable location was the biggest stumbling block.
KIRO’s report said Levin met with officials here to discuss possible locations for an arena but has no specific site in mind yet. When contacted by KIRO, Levin offered a simple “no comment.
If you thought LeBron back to Cleveland was bad, just wait until you see the Thunder go back to Seattle. God I hope the new team in Seattle is garbage and the Thunder are the defending world champs when it happens just to see the reaction.
If you thought LeBron back to Cleveland was bad, just wait until you see the Thunder go back to Seattle. God I hope the new team in Seattle is garbage and the Thunder are the defending world champs when it happens just to see the reaction.
If you thought LeBron back to Cleveland was bad, just wait until you see the Thunder go back to Seattle. God I hope the new team in Seattle is garbage and the Thunder are the defending world champs when it happens just to see the reaction.
Well we can only imagine the reaction cuz the thunder will never be world champs.
If you thought LeBron back to Cleveland was bad, just wait until you see the Thunder go back to Seattle. God I hope the new team in Seattle is garbage and the Thunder are the defending world champs when it happens just to see the reaction.
Good for them, I hope they get their team back as I hate it when any city loses a team. I felt the pain when the Browns left for a while. It would be real nice if the Sonics name could come back to.
Good for them, I hope they get their team back as I hate it when any city loses a team. I felt the pain when the Browns left for a while. It would be real nice if the Sonics name could come back to.
It wouldn't be the same. It would be like saying this axe has been in my family for 75 years, it's had three new heads and 6 new handles. Not the same axe Uncle Joe bought 75 years ago
Seattle building a new arena for an NBA team.
