SEATTLE (AP) -- The hopes of bringing the NBA back to Seattle and adding an NHL team passed a significant milestone Thursday when a final environmental impact statement found no major issues to block a projected new multipurpose arena in Seattle's stadium district.
But the toughest challenge might still be ahead for arena investor Chris Hansen and his partners: Rewriting the original language on the arena proposal for hockey to become the first tenant of a new building.
''I believe based on the conversations I've had with the NBA that without hockey first we're probably not going to get to an arena in Seattle,'' Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said.