A friend and I went to a concert a few weeks ago at Key Arena (she was persuasive). The last time I visited was in High School for a hockey game; it was a good experience. Going to the Key Arena isn’t something I would normally do these days. The ticket prices, parking, and traffic make it mostly miserable for me. The City Of Seattle strategically limits the hours of street parking so you can pay the $25+ parking at the event. The concert was mostly sold out by the time we decided to go. The remaining tickets were in the nosebleed section and after the Ticketmaster fees they were $98 dollars each. With that being said, this plan was starting to fall apart quickly. I decided to check out Craigslist to see if any opportunities were available. After a few days, I decided to pull the trigger on some Key Arena luxury suite tickets via Craigslist posting for
$150 each. Doing my due diligence, I learned a lot. Having been to a suite before at Century Link Field, I know most are purchased by companies. They are extremely expensive and paid on a yearly basis. As a suite owner, the suite tickets are just mailed to you for each event and you can give them out to your employees or others as you see fit. That said, I was curious how this guy got the tickets and what company they were with. He said that he knows an important person with the Navy (Vessel) and the Navy has the suite to give to the guys when they are in town. The navy vessel was out at sea, so they forwarded the suite tickets to him to sell. I couldn’t help but laugh a little inside when I heard that news. I wasn’t surprised because the wasteful spending is everywhere but who would guess they would waste the tax money on luxury suite tickets. This is just another example of wasteful spending and a lack of itemized spending transparency. The suite featured a great view of the concert and was fully catered.
I would like to thank the American people (your tax money) and Navy for providing me with some great suites.
Update: Just a quick update about Key Arena in Seattle.
The facility really got outdated and there were calls for renovations or a new arena to be built.
A significant development occurred when the City of Seattle reached an agreement with the Oak View Group to renovate and expand the arena. This massive renovation, which began in 2018, aimed to transform the old KeyArena into a state-of-the-art facility suitable for concerts, events, and potentially new sports franchises. The renovated arena is called Climate Pledge Arena after Amazon purchased naming rights, promoting its Climate Pledge initiative.
The arena is designed to be one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable arenas in the world, with features aimed at achieving zero carbon emissions and zero waste. The updated facility is also a cornerstone in Seattle’s efforts to attract new sports teams, including its new NHL team, the Seattle Kraken, which began playing at Climate Pledge Arena in 2021.
Update: Key Arena is now Climate Pledge Arena. Here is the summary.
The Climate Pledge Initiative
The most transformative aspect of the renovation was its rebranding in 2020 to Climate Pledge Arena. The new name came from a partnership with Amazon, which acquired the naming rights. The name “Climate Pledge” refers to a commitment Amazon made to meet the Paris Agreement ten years early, aiming to become carbon neutral by 2040. This partnership aimed to make the arena the first net-zero carbon certified arena in the world, aligning with broader environmental goals and initiatives.
Environmental Goals and Features
The redesign of Climate Pledge Arena included several innovative environmental features:
- Zero Carbon Certification: The arena aims to achieve the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon certification, which would make it the first arena in the world to do so.
- Green Energy: All of the power for the arena is sourced from renewable energy, including on-site solar panels and off-site renewable energy projects.
- Sustainable Operations: The arena operations are designed to be zero waste, with a strong emphasis on reducing single-use plastics and a commitment to composting and recycling.
- Water Conservation: The facility utilizes a rainwater retention system called the “Rain to Rink” system, which captures and filters rainwater to create the NHL’s ice surface, reducing the arena’s overall water use.
This renovation reflects a growing trend in the construction and operation of entertainment and sports venues, where sustainability and environmental responsibility are becoming central to their design and operations. The transformation of KeyArena into Climate Pledge Arena stands as a pioneering example of how such facilities can lead in the fight against climate change while serving their communities.
