Report: Seattle group still pursuing arena despite not making bid for NHL franchise
Seattle may not have placed a bid for an NHL franchise, but that doesn't mean the door is completely shut.
Though the deadline to place a bid for an NHL expansion team passed, a group spearheaded by former oil trader and co-founder of RLB Holdings - Ray Bartoszek - is still hoping to build an arena in the city, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Told the non-bid by the Bartoszek group was -- not surprisingly -- money-related. Not the application fee, more the $500M team pricetag #NHL
— Geoff Baker (@GeoffBakerTIMES) July 20, 2015
Bartoszek is currently trying to complete a proposal to build a privately funded arena in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle. If all goes smoothly, the building would be open in the fall of 2017, the earliest the NHL has claimed expansion to the league would occur.
Latecomers to the NHL expansion process "will not be considered," if their application was not submitted today, the league confirms. #TSN
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 20, 2015
Another group headed by the CEO of Hudson Pacific Properties, Victor Coleman, was also believed to have interest in bringing an NHL club to Seattle, but late last week it was reported Coleman would not make a bid.
On Friday, Coleman said his group was not ready to commit to $2 million (the fee to give a formal application for an expansion franchise) on top of not having concrete plans for an arena.