Everett, WA
Arena / Special Events Center Feasibility Study
In June
2000, Brailsford & Dunlavey, along with
sub-consultant Ellerbe Becket, was retained by
the City of Everett, Washington to conduct a
feasibility study for a proposed indoor sports
arena / special events center. As a mid-sized
city located within the increasingly congested
Seattle metropolitan market, Everett had a
growing need for accessible, affordable family
entertainment to maintain a quality of life for
its residents and remain attractive to
businesses. A state sales tax rebate program
earmarked specifically for the creation of
sports, entertainment, and assembly facilities
provided the basis for evaluating the funding
potential for a 10,000-seat arena
facility.
B&D
and Ellerbe Becket completed a thorough market,
financial and architectural feasibility study.
An event calendar was projected based on
interviews with sports league officials,
concert promoters, booking agents for family
shows, and organizers of professional
conferences and trade shows. The team
evaluated five alternative sites for the
facility within the City of Everett and
developed a fully self-supporting financing
plan.
The City Council approved the project based on B&D's feasibility study, and B&D was retained to assist the City in implementing the project. B&D assisted the City in contracting with a design-build contractor to construct the facility and was instrumental in negotiations with a Western Hockey League franchise as anchor tenant in the facility. The resulting lease is one of the most favorable to the public entity anywhere in minor league hockey in North America, providing for a fixed base rent of $700,000 plus participation in the potential upside of revenues beyond certain threshold targets.
The Everett Events Center, a $71.5 million multi-purpose complex, is now the home of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.