April 28, 2015

Group is planning NHL arena in Tukwila

A report from ESPN.com says Ray Bartoszek, a former oil trader and co-founder of RLB Holdings in Greenwich, Connecticut, wants to build an arena in Tukwila and may be trying to lure an NHL team.

In 2013, Bartoszek attempted to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Seattle but was not successful.

Bartoszek's group — called RLB Holdings Sports and Entertainment — filed a code interpretation request with the city of Tukwila last week for developing a multipurpose arena.

According to the document, prepared by Seattle law firm Hillis, Clark, Martin & Peterson, the arena would be within a transit-oriented development district in Tukwila's urban center. The site is east of the Green River, between the railroad tracks north of the Sounder Station and east of West Valley Highway.

The group is expected to file a SEPA application Friday, with the goal of opening a privately funded arena by fall 2017.

Bartoszek told several media outlets Monday that the project is at a very early stage, and said it's too soon to talk about a team.

The city of Tukwila issued a statement Monday confirming RLB's interest in building an arena there. City officials said they were first approached in January 2014 by “developers looking for potential sites for a multipurpose arena.”

“While the city is supportive of building a multipurpose arena within Tukwila, there are many steps ahead for this project,” the statement said.

ESPN reports the group includes former MulvannyG2 Architecture CEO Jerry Lee, Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell and former Seattle SuperSonics captain Fred Brown.

Bartoszek's group is not the only one proposing an arena in the area. A final environmental impact statement is expected to be issued next week for Chris Hansen's Sodo arena project.