Seattle Growth Podcast

This special episode gives you an inside look at a burgeoning industry with potential to further drive growth in this city. Jeff Shulman had an opportunity to visit the Geekwire Sports Tech Summit and interview individuals uniquely involved in the the sports tech. In this episode: Taylor Soper, sports tech reporter for Geekwire, describes how Vicis, Amazon, and Microsoft are driving sports tech in the region and what can be expected in the future. Former NHL player and co-founder of League, Todd Humphrey, explains how professional hockey has prepared him for entrepreneurship. He offers an idea of what Seattle can expect from local sports tech companies in the future. Akvelon employee, Jeremiah Mothersell, shares why he moved here from Arizona without a job in hand, and what it is like to work at a sports tech company in Seattle. Professional hot air balloon competitor, Eliav Cohen, describes how a local tech company is incidentally revolutionizing the world-wide sport of hot air ballooning. The episode gives you a better understanding of what you can expect from Seattle's sports tech scene and how it may further drive the growth of the city.

This episode gives you a better understanding of how public resources may be deployed in bringing the NBA and NHL to Seattle and in improving Seattle Center. In this episode, City Councilmember Rob Johnson describes the process by which the proposals to renovate Key Arena and the proposal to build a SODO arena will be evaluated and offers insight into the pros and cons of each. Developer Sam Farrazaino offers an alternative vision for repurposing Key Arena should a development in SODO becomes the home of professional arena sports.

Former Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark gives guidance on how to effectively engage city government. She shares the best way to communicate your opinions along with some do’s and don’ts. Her guidance applies to those following the discussion on the arena decision facing the council as well as to anyone who has a passion about a city issue. In this episode, host Jeff Shulman reveals that he is not actually a Sonics fan. However, he discusses how he has been moved by people who have made this city great. People from diverse races, genders, educations, and political affiliations who have been brought together and inspired by the world class athletes wearing Sonics uniforms. Sharing what the Sonics have historically meant to the city of Seattle, the episode features quotes from Pete Nordstrom, Slick Watts, Lenny Wilkens, Detlef Schrempf, Professor Jen Hoffman, Jack and Steve Hussey, Debi Frausto, Jeff Brown, Lauren Henry and Nicole Morrison.

In the nearly 10 years since the NBA franchise Seattle Supersonics left for Oklahoma City, several people have been working tirelessly to bring the Sonics back to Seattle. This episode gives you a window into the hearts and minds of two people working for several years to return Seattle to the league of cities playing host to professional basketball. In this episode you will hear from: 1. Chris Hansen; the leader of a group of investors attempting to bring an NBA franchise to an arena in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. He discusses his motivations for continued efforts to bring Seattle an NBA franchise. He also shares rare insights into where his group is in the process. 2. Jeff Brown; a Sonics fan and leader of the Bring Back our Sonics movement. He shares why he continues to rally fans years after the NBA left the Emerald City. Sonic Boom Day is coming April 17th. Residents from across Seattle will be sharing their voice with Seattle City Council on where they would like an arena to be developed. As City Council is in the process of determining where to pave the way for a return of the NBA, developing an informed opinion can help you achieve the outcome that is in your best interest. This episode of Seattle Growth Podcast gives you unique insight into what the NBA can mean to the residents of Seattle and what the proposal for a SoDo arena would mean to you and life in this city.

Sonic Boom Day is coming April 17th! People from around the city will be sharing their voice with City Council on the same day so that wishes of Seattle residents can be heard loud and clear. Prepare with today’s episode, which focuses on how the arena location decision would affect your wallet through its effect on rents, home values, and further development. In this episode: Craig Kinzer, Founder and CEO of Kinzer Partners, explains the real estate development that should occur around a new arena. Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist at Windermere Real Estate describes current trends in Seattle Real Estate and how they would be affected by a return of the Sonics and the arena location they call home. Realtors Tyler Davis Jones and Phil Greely discuss what a return of the Sonics would mean to them and their work.

There are potentially three private groups vying to invest roughly half a billion dollars into a sports and entertainment complex in Seattle. The city is weighing a proposal for a SoDo arena and inviting proposals for a renovation of Seattle Center’s Key Arena. Decisions will soon be made and this episode helps you become further informed of the issues. In this episode: Get the scoop on how the city is approaching a potential Key Arena location from Brian Surratt, director of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development. Get an inside look at Oak View Groups intentions to submit a proposal from Lance Lopes, director of special projects at Oak View Group. Hear the challenges and opportunities the surrounding neighborhood sees from Debi Frausto who serves on the KeyArena Subcommittee Chair for the Seattle Uptown Alliance and is also on the Mayor’s Key Arena Advisory Panel. This episode will give you a better understanding of how a Key Arena renovation could impact you and life in this city.

This episode gives you a behind the scenes look at the life and impact off the court of the first coach to deliver Seattle a professional sports championship. You will hear from Hall of Fame Sonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens about his upbringing and his motivation to help his community through the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children. You will also hear from Dr. Ben Danielson of the Odessa Brown Clinic as he shares personal stories of how Lenny Wilkens has affected his life and the lives of the children he serves. The episode continues our exploration of what a return of the Sonics could mean to Seattle. But much more than that, it provides a story of the difference one person can make in the lives around them. A story that will hopefully inspire others in our community. In this episode, host Jeff Shulman calls upon listeners to “Live Like Lenny.” If you have time to do something good for the community, snap a picture and share on social using #LiveLikeLenny. Whether it is bringing food to a food bank, bringing clothes, blankets or supplies to a shelter, cleaning trash from a public space, or volunteering with a religious or secular organization, listeners are asked to show the ripple effect our positive role models can have.

Though Seattle’s economy has grown dramatically, there are still many residents in need. This episode explores what a return of the Sonics could mean to the less fortunate residents of Seattle. To explore this question, this episode gives you an inside look into the work of one of Seattle’s star athletes. While any basketball fan in the mid-90s recognizes the contributions Detlef Schrempf made on the court, this episode gives unique insights into the lives he changed off the court. Recognized as a 3-time NBA All-star, the first german born player to lead a team to the NBA finals, and the player of choice for video game fans who played NBA jam, Detlef Schrempf left an indelible mark as a player for the Sonics. As a citizen in our community, his reach extends well beyond basketball enthusiasts. The episode features in-depth interviews with: Detlef Schrempf: Three-time NBA All-Star and two time Sixth Man of the Year. Nicole Morrison: Executive Director of the Detlef Schrempf Foundation Lauren Henry: A beneficiary of Detlef Schrempf’s contributions to Rise N’ Shine. You will learn what Detlef Schrempf has accomplished with his foundation and what motivated him to make the contributions here in Seattle. As decisions are being made at the city level that could pave the way for a return of the Sonics, this episode gives a better understanding of how these decisions would affect the interwoven fabric of people who call Seattle home.

How would the children of Seattle be affected by the presence of the NBA? To explore this question, this episode features: Legendary Sonics player Slick Watts, who has helped cultivate future NBA talent such as Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford while coaching youth basketball in Seattle for decades. He describes how his playing days influenced his contributions to the community. Colin Davenport, a youth coach who grew up in Seattle while the Sonics were here. He describes how the Sonics shaped his life. Pat Dobel, a professor at the University of Washington and the writer of the popular sports blog Point of the Game. Having worked closely with collegiate athletes, Professor Dobel shares what he saw firsthand as the impact of sports on personal development and cautions against expecting too much from a return of the NBA. You will also hear from your fellow listeners as UW Foster professor Jeff Shulman reads tweets from local Sonics fans. As decisions are being made at the city level that could pave the way for a return of the Sonics, this episode gives a better understanding of how these decisions would affect you and your children.

How would a return of the Sonics affect your evening commute? With two arena locations under city consideration, this episode gives you the scoop on how each of them would affect you. Given common perceptions about the Mercer corridor, what you hear will likely surprise you. In this episode: 3-time NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf discusses his time playing at Seattle’s Key Arena. Scott Kubly, Director of Seattle Department of Transportation, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the transportation network serving each location. Martin Duke, Editor-in-Chief of Seattle Transit Blog, describes the current and future state of transit serving the two locations.

The SoDo arena group was a street vacation away from being ready to invite the NBA to a modern Seattle arena, but the Port of Seattle has been an outspoken opponent. Find out exactly what the Port opposes and get a further understanding of why the Port is concerned about the SoDo arena. In this episode, you will hear from Port of Seattle Commissioner John Creighton. You will also get historical context about the Port of Seattle from former Port CEO Mic Dinsmore, who served in that capacity for 15 years from 1992 to 2007. The episode concludes with the executive director of the Manufacturing Industrial Council Dave Gering who describes the local maritime industry and how he fears a SODO arena could impact not just the industry, but all residents of Seattle. The city is in the midst of its decision-making process, and now is the time to become informed about the benefits and challenges associated with potential locations.

A local investment group led by Chris Hansen has a proposal to build an NBA arena in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. Their proposal has the potential to impact you and life in this city. You will learn what the SoDo arena group needs from the city to proceed and what they hope a return of the Sonics will mean to Seattle. In this episode, you can hear: Pete Nordstrom, co-president of Nordstrom) describes what basketball has meant to him and how his experience as a team owner influences his efforts to bring the Sonics back to Seattle. Wally Walker, former Sonics player and team executive, shares details of the proposal and what it was like to be a player on the first professional sports team to bring a championship to Seattle.

Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess talks about City Council's role in the process of bringing back the Sonics.

Why should you care about a potential return of the Sonics? Because the story is more complex than you might imagine. Yes, there is considerable enthusiasm for bringing them back. But their return requires addressing some tough questions. Will your tax dollars go toward subsidizing an NBA-ready arena? Where would an arena go? How would an arena affect the surrounding real estate, jobs, traffic, and other aspects of life in the city? How can the positive effects of an NBA franchise be maximized? This season of Seattle Growth Podcast will explore these issues so you can be better informed about how a return of the Sonics would affect you and your neighbors. With this knowledge, you can have your voice be heard on the issue while there are decisions being made. To give context to the potential return, it is important to understand some of the history of the Sonics. In this episode, you can hear: 1) Hall of Fame Sonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens shares why he wants the NBA to return to Seattle and what it was like to deliver the city its first professional sports championship. 2) Craig Kinzer opens up about his experience as a member of the Sonics ownership group that sold the team to Clay Bennett’s Oklahoma City investment group. 3) Paul Lawrence explains what can be learned from his experience as the city’s lead attorney in its trial attempting to force Clay Bennett to fulfill the obligations of the Sonics’ lease in Key Arena. Also appearing in this episode are City Councilmember Tim Burgess, Pete Nordstrom, Wally Walker and Steve Hussey.

Seattle Growth Podcast returns for a second season to explore how a return of the NBA franchise Seattle Supersonics would impact you and life in this growing city. As Seattle has experienced rapid growth, efforts to return the Sonics to the Emerald City are picking up steam. Whether you are a basketball fan or not, you will gain perspective on how the Sonics would affect real estate, community, traffic, jobs, taxes, and more. Featuring interviews with: Lenny Wilkens Slick Watts Wally Walker Jeff Brown Colin Davenport