Give Key Arena to the Sonics

"What if we gave the city-owned KeyArena to the Sonics? (We'd keep the land.) They could remodel it at their expense. The Sonics would get all revenue from sports, concerts and other events, instead of sending a cut to the city.

With this one-time gift the city could get out of the arena and sports businesses, maybe forever."

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Superintendents are dealing more and more with land and real estate transactions and public financing. There are many examples in the news. First the Mariners. Then the Seahawks. Then the Sonics. Citizens like my dad who is a real sports fan is ready to let them go. I like the idea of having the city just get out of the sports business and turn the stadium over to the Sonics. The city will still get tax revenues; it continues to be good for the community to have a strong sports program but the city isn't very good at being a business. This is an opportunity for Seattle to get back to what it does best. Give the Sonics the Key.