Port of Seattle and Mt. Rainier
The Port of Seattle, a business association and the longshoremen union characterized a proposed new events arena in Seattle’s industrial district as a “land grab” that threatens jobs because it could increase traffic and land value.
“This is just not about a basketball arena. This is about a land grab in the Sodo area and changing it,” Herald Ugles of the longshoremen union told the Seattle City Council on Thursday. “You can build a basketball arena anywhere. But you cannot build a world class deep water port anywhere. And that’s what we have in Seattle right now.”
The group’s comments came as the city traffic study funded by the private investor concluded that additional traffic brought by events at the arena would not have a major impact on port and freight operations.