How a Seattle NBA Team Would Affect Lower Queen Anne Businesses

In 2008, Seattle lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City. Since then, rumors of a professional basketball team returning to the city of Seattle have spread, riling the hopes of local basketball fans and leaving businesses in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood looking forward to the influx of crowds that home games would bring. 

So far none of the rumors about a Seattle NBA team have come to fruition, but there is still hope for a professional basketball team to return. 

In 2017, NBA commissioner Adam Silver claimed that Seattle was on a short list of cities that were likely to see a city team move in as the franchise expanded. The COVID-19 pandemic may have stalled NBA progress in the city of Seattle for a few years, but basketball fans can rest assured: a city team is still in the cards. 

In 2021, Jenny Durkan—former mayor of the city of Seattle—assured locals that though NBA commissioner Silver “obviously can’t make any promises […] my sense is Seattle’s at the top of the list, and we’ll have a basketball team playing here, I’d say, within five years.”

Having a team like the Seattle SuperSonics return to the Climate Pledge Arena would mean windfalls for local Lower Queen Anne businesses, with big economic boosts during game days as over 17,000 sports fans crowd the stands. 

This is a boost that local businesses already feel the impact of during Kraken games or other events held at the Climate Pledge Arena. 

But putting Lower Queen Anne’s name on the radar of basketball fans across the nation would undoubtedly cement the neighborhood’s status as a business and entertainment hub in Seattle. 

At MSRE, we’re already doing our part to offer businesses spaces to thrive that put them in easy reach of the Climate Pledge Arena and the foot traffic its events bring. 

The 155,000 square feet of newly-developed Class-A office space at 401 Queen Anne put tenants just a short walk away from the Seattle Center and the Climate Pledge Arena, while commercial buildings in our portfolio (including 190 Queen Anne, 18 West Mercer, and the West Harrison Plaza North and South Towers put you at the heart of all the excitement that Lower Queen Anne offers. 

Additionally, access to the many Lower Queen Anne properties in the MSRE portfolio have recently been made easier with the help of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), who announced a redesigned curb management plan that would increase access to businesses for visitors and residents and prevent gridlock. 

This new transportation model streamlines transit, biking, and loading with redesigned city blocks to better support commercial loading and accessibility to ride sharing options. 

For the many businesses operating out of Lower Queen Anne buildings in the Martin Selig Real Estate portfolio, these transportation initiatives from SDOT mean easier commuting, customer, and client access. They also mean that when a Seattle NBA team comes, the Lower Queen Anne area will be well prepared to handle the crowd influx and economic boost the team will bring. 

The Martin Selig Real Estate team has over 60 years experience helping businesses in Lower Queen Anne thrive. Explore our portfolio of available properties and contact our team members so we can help you find your perfect commercial space.