Sonics’ Refurbished Home On Schedule

Donning a hard hat, Barry Ackerley stepped inside KeyArena for the first time in about three months on Thursday.

The rosy-cheeked Seattle SuperSonics owner was tickled pink.

“I think it’s terrific,” he said. “I’m thrilled.”

Ackerley’s delight was aimed at the progress of the remodeling and expansion of the former Seattle Center Coliseum.

On Thursday, Ackerley, Seattle mayor Norm Rice and Seattle Center director Virginia Anderson held a press conference to emphasize that the $74 million project will be completed before the Sonics’ NBA regular-season home opener in November.

KeyArena’s grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 26 with a benefit concert by Jose Carreras and the Seattle Symphony.

“This beautiful arena is on time and on budget,” Rice said emphatically before a small crowd gathered on the south side of the building.

There were rumors to the contrary, however; concerns that the projected 17-month renovation job wouldn’t be finished in time for the Sonics’ first home game. But it was evident Thursday that the project was entering its final phases.

The exterior roof is complete, as is the interior concrete seating bowl. Even some seats have been installed. Thursday morning, construction workers were pouring the concrete floor - and were nearly finished.

But with so much riding on the project’s timeliness, even the Ackerleys had their concerns.

“I think the doubts were reasonable, what I would call skeptical doubts,” said Bill Ackerley, Barry’s son and president of Ackerley Communications. “And that is, that you don’t hear many stories about public projects getting done on time, any construction projects getting done on time. Hell, even if you’re building a house, those tend not to get done (on time). So, certainly there was some skepticism from that.

“At the same time, we all looked at each other and said, ‘You know, we have to do it. It’s not a matter that we’d like to get it done on time. We have to get it done on time because of the NBA schedule.’ “

But because the critical areas of the project have been completed - tearing off and replacing the roof and lowering the arena floor 35 feet - those concerns have been allayed.

KeyArena will be fully operational for the Sonics’ opener, Barry Ackerley said. The NBA has yet to release its schedule, but in the past two seasons, the Sonics have played home openers during the first week of November.

“We could play basketball in there today, couldn’t we?” Barry Ackerley said. “If people were willing to sit on the cement, you could do it.”

The Ackerleys believe the arena’s sight lines and intimacy (17,100 capacity for basketball) will make it a unique place for basketball. On Thursday, Barry and Bill wanted to get a view of what they figured might be the worst seat in the house, considering it would be behind the basket. Standing from the top row on the north end of the arena, they were happy with what the saw.

“You can see everything. It’s beautiful up there,” Barry Ackerley said.

So far, 48 of the 58 luxury suites have been sold in the arena, which also will house Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League and the indoor soccer Seattle SeaDogs, as well as other sporting events, concerts and familyentertainment shows.

During the arena’s opening night on Oct. 26, the Sonics’ new uniforms will be unveiled.

“It’s really nice to see it coming to fruition,” Barry Ackerley said of the project. “It’s very exciting to me.”