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year – the Sonics had never sold more than 9,000 season tickets; season tickets needed to produce at least $ 9 million annually, which would've made the tickets the second most expensive for a team in the area at the time; a 20-year lease with a "substantial" share of arena revenues from concessions, parking, and ad signage; priority status for postseason arena dates; and a secured $ 5 million line of credit in case the league had to take over ownership of the team at any point. Ackerley would not sacrifice Sonics revenues for a hockey team in which he would be a minority investor. Seattle would eventually get an NHL team in 2018 when the
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31 million in tax revenues (about $ 1 million per year) to potentially be collected on admissions fees at the new arena. It would also pay $ 2 million for street improvements around the proposed site, including a pedestrian walkway over South Royal
Brougham Way. Ackerley also agreed to sign a 30-year lease for the Sonics and to build a 1,800-stall parking garage. Ackerley appeased the Seahawks' concerns, noting the arena would be empty during any NFL games. The Mariners unsuccessfully continued to object, even enlisting then-Major League Baseball commissioner
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were sold and the
Ackerleys were unable to find a corporate buyer for naming rights. Ackerley Communications profits were down, which also contributed to the financing difficulties. A state Supreme Court case brought by Seattle Center employees challenged the constitutionality of the arena deal, while potential lawsuits from the Mariners and trade show organizers and possible legal challenges to environmental review of the project loomed. Seattle Center Arena was extensively remodeled in 1995 for the Sonics. In 2000, Ackerley and his wife Ginger launched the
188:. Ackerley approached the city about a public contribution to the new arena, but the city was reluctant over fears the city-owned Coliseum would become obsolete. They offered to help finance a renovation of the Coliseum, but the team owner declined. To sweeten the offer, Ackerley sold city leaders on the idea that the new arena in SoDo could also attract an NHL club. The city, along with Denver, had been conditionally granted an expansion NHL franchise in 1974 to begin play in the 1976–77 season. The NHL
156:. and Obie Outdoor Advertising based in Eugene, Oregon. The acquisition of these two outdoor advertising companies formed the beginnings of Ackerley's new company, named Northwest Communications, Inc. in 1975 initially, and renamed Ackerley Communications, Inc. the following year. From there the new company would begin to acquire broadcast television stations and radio stations in the early 1980s. After mainly transitioning to a broadcast media company, the company would be sold to sold to
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Barry
Ackerley and Bill Lear, Ackerley's financial advisor, were set to make a presentation to the NHL's board of governors on December 5, 1990. At the meeting, Ackerley and Lear asked to meet with the board first, promptly withdrew their application, and left. Larson and MacFarland were stunned to learn of the development but were unable to pursue any recourse as their names were never on the submitted application.
180:. Ackerley began exploring new options for an arena. Heavy relocation rumors began to circulate, amongst them a potential move to San Diego or possible sales to groups in other markets like Milwaukee or Toronto. In 2018, Ackerley's son Chris would say that the family was always committed to keeping the team in Seattle, and that "in each case, we stood on our principles that this is a Seattle community asset."
140:. In 1964, he approached a wealthy family in Wichita, Kansas, and asked for their financial assistance in acquiring billboards. The family agreed and, as a minority shareholder in the venture, Ackerley purchased billboards in Fresno and Bakersfield, California. Over the next four years, Ackerley purchased additional billboards in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, California.
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By 1968, the billboards in northern
California had generated enough income to provide Ackerley with the start-up capital he had lacked in New York five years earlier. He sold his interest in the venture back to his benefactors and, with a new partner, parlayed the proceeds toward the establishment of
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In June 1991, nearly a year after the city agreed to the arena deal, Ackerley announced that the project would not move forward. Increasing project costs, legal disputes, and inability to secure construction financing were cited as reasons to drop the project. Only around 30 of the 70 luxury suites
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was preparing their own application. With the
Ackerley application already submitted, the two groups would merge with Larson and MacFarland being primary points of contact with the NHL. Then the owner of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Bill Yuill, also joined the group. Larson and MacFarland, along with
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Thought to play a factor in
Ackerley's decision were the significant demands by the NHL for an expansion team: a $ 50 million expansion fee that was more than any NHL club was valued at the time; a $ 5 million down payment that would be forfeited if 10,000 season tickets weren't sold in the first
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During negotiations, Ackerley had asked for a provision to reduce the seating at the
Coliseum by 9,000 seats so the older arena couldn't compete with the new building, but the city would not agree. Another selling point of the new arena was luxury suites, a means to attract corporate money and
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In July 1990, the city council approved a deal for a privately owned $ 100 million facility to be built on the
Ackerley land in SoDo, despite objections over traffic and parking by the Seahawks and Mariners in the neighboring Kingdome. The city's contribution would be to waive about $
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Ackerley also committed to submitting an expansion application to the NHL by a
September 15, 1990 deadline as part of the arena deal. His son Bill would head the expansion effort, while a competing group led by Microsoft executive Chris Larson and former Seattle Totems player then coach
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to Denver) to address a troubled market and fill the expansion commitment, but ultimately kept the team there. Eventually, the
Seattle franchise award was rescinded altogether when the potential ownership group was unable to secure the funds for the expansion fee.
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Briefly, the Ackerleys talked about building an arena east of Lake Washington near the mall in Bellevue. They would eventually purchase land in the SoDo District near the Kingdome, some of which included the site that would become the Mariners' current home,
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an outdoor advertising company, Golden West Outdoor Advertising. Golden West, had billboards in Sacramento, California, and Colorado until 1974, when Ackerley purchased his partner's share in the company and then sold the company to
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With the money garnered from the sale to Gannett, Ackerley, after a brief return to the Northeast to work for an advertising firm, relocated to Seattle, Washington, in 1975 and purchased Seattle-based Foster & Kleiser from
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sponsorship that was then an emerging new revenue stream for sports team owners. Ackerley's financing and agreement with the city hinged on the ability to sell the 70 proposed luxury suites.
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435:"Baseball Official Here To Fight Ackerley Arena Deal – Concessions To Sonics Owner Concern City's Other Pro Sports"
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109:(April 15, 1934 – March 21, 2011) was an American businessman. He was the former chairman and CEO of the
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136:, in 1934, Barry Ackerley began his career in the advertising industry selling space for the magazine
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Former Seattle SuperSonics owner Barry Ackerley dies at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage
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FCC approves Clear Channel (now known as iHeartMedia) purchase of Ackerley Group
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364:"Seattle's arena saga: Top officials reflect on Sonics history, regrets"
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Ackerley died on March 21, 2011, two days after suffering a stroke.
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591:"Former Broadcaster and NBA Team Owner Barry Ackerly Dead at 76"
464:"New Sonics Arena Dead – Financing Troubles Sideline Ackerley"
301:"History of Ackerley Communications, Inc. – FundingUniverse"
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412:"City of Seattle approves contract for basketball arena"
276:"Barry Allan Ackerley Obituary (2011) Los Angeles Times"
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to speak before the council ahead of their final vote.
246:. Both the SuperSonics and Storm were sold in 2001 to
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508:Eskenazi, David; Rudman, Steve (July 9, 2013).
487:"Seattle and the NHL: So Close Yet So Far Away"
387:"What About Ackerley'S Arena? How Suite It Is!"
510:"WAYBACK MACHINE: SEATTLE'S LONG WAIT FOR NHL"
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533:"SEATTLE AND THE NHL – LAND MINES ON HORIZON"
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338:"Sonics' Owner Taking a Look at Sports Arena"
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113:media company. He was also the owner of the
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124:basketball franchise from 2000 to 2001.
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336:Granberry, Michael (February 3, 1989).
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89:Businessman and sports franchise owner
663:20th-century American philanthropists
489:. NW Hockey Report, SeattleHockey.net
466:. NW Hockey Report, SeattleHockey.net
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234:were approved to begin play in 2021.
658:20th-century American businesspeople
648:Businesspeople from Des Moines, Iowa
485:Obermeyer, Jeff (March–April 2006).
362:Daniels, Chris (November 30, 2018).
120:franchise from 1983 to 2001 and the
433:Nelson, Robert T. (July 25, 1990).
209:and then-American League president
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385:Newnham, Blaine (May 31, 1990).
160:in 2001 for $ 1.1 billion.
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555:"Sonics Sold for $ 200 Million"
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531:Rudman, Steve (July 11, 2015).
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174:National Basketball Association
168:In 1983 Ackerley purchased the
638:American sports businesspeople
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414:. UPI (Archive). July 25, 1990
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462:Lilly, Dick (June 26, 1991).
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158:Clear Channel Communications
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643:Seattle SuperSonics owners
138:Better Homes & Gardens
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653:University of Iowa alumni
633:American media executives
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68:Rancho Mirage, California
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198:California Golden Seals
668:Seattle Storm owners
196:to Seattle (and the
192:with relocating the
176:from original owner
107:Barry Allan Ackerley
35:Barry Allan Ackerley
16:American businessman
305:fundinguniverse.com
194:Pittsburgh Penguins
170:Seattle SuperSonics
164:Seattle SuperSonics
115:Seattle SuperSonics
99:Seattle SuperSonics
80:University of Iowa
439:The Seattle Times
391:The Seattle Times
342:Los Angeles Times
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178:Sam Schulman
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62:(2011-03-21)
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628:2011 deaths
623:1934 births
564:January 13,
539:January 27,
516:January 27,
493:January 27,
470:January 27,
444:January 27,
418:January 27,
396:January 27,
370:January 27,
366:. KING5.com
347:January 27,
310:February 6,
211:Bobby Brown
207:Fay Vincent
617:Categories
280:Legacy.com
262:References
118:basketball
41:1934-04-15
601:March 23,
148:Company.
559:ABC News
132:Born in
242:of the
172:of the
146:Gannett
128:History
70:, U.S.
51:, U.S.
254:Death
603:2011
566:2021
541:2019
518:2019
495:2019
472:2019
446:2019
420:2019
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287:2021
244:WNBA
57:Died
31:Born
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