Seattle-area mayor supports arena project, reaches out to commissioners

The seven-year tease of Seattle basketball fans continues.

The mayor of Tukwila, a Seattle suburb, has reached out to both the NBA and NHL to express his support for a potential multipurpose sports arena in the area.

Jim Haggerton sent letters to Adam Silver and Gary Bettman in November, telling both that Tukwila is in favor of a proposal from The Russell Group for the facility, which would theoretically host both a professional Seattle hockey and basketball team. That letter included rough sketches of a potential location for the facility, parking and a hotel in an area just off of Interstate 405, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Seattle.

In Haggerton's letters, he described a "special opportunity district" that's been created for the potential project.

Bettman, the NHL's commissioner, has said he believes it would be a great market for a team. The NHL is also exploring potential expansion into Las Vegas, and it's possible the league could look to bring in two new West Coast franchises together if the Seattle project progresses in a timely fashion.

The NBA, meanwhile, has been the one that got away for Seattle since the SuperSonics were purchased by Clay Bennett and moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Since that time, there have been several efforts to rally support for a return to the city, with billionaire Chris Hansen leading the charge.

The NBA has said it's not planning expansion and won't be returning to Seattle anytime soon, but the league has the option to purchase the Milwaukee Bucks at a relative discount if they don't have their own arena deal in place by 2017.

Prior to the move, Seattle had a rich history of NBA success, with a 1979 championship, three NBA Finals appearances, six division titles and 22 playoff berths in 31 seasons.