Seattle's KeyArena gets new name: It's now called Climate Pledge Arena
SEATTLE — For 25 years, KeyArena has hosted big league sports and was home to the Seattle SuperSonics, but on Thursday NHL officials announced a new name for the venue: It will now be called Climate Pledge Arena.
Officials with NHL Seattle announced the new name along with a naming agreement with Amazon. According to a written statement by Oak View Group, the facility will be the first zero carbon certified arena in the world.
: Take a look at renderings of the new Climate Pledge Arena.
"This unprecedented partnership is the first of its kind in sports and entertainment and is a commitment to tackle the most pressing problem facing our planet, climate change," the statement said.
Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, announced the new name in an Instagram post.
"I’m excited to announce that Amazon has bought the naming rights to the historic Seattle arena previously known as KeyArena," he wrote. "Instead of calling it Amazon Arena, we’re naming it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action."
The arena, originally built in 1962 as part of the World’s Fair, has been an entertainment and sports hub in Seattle ever since.
Recently, the facility has been part of a major renovation project, which a franchise spokesperson now estimates will cost roughly $1 billion, up from the original $700 million price tag attached to the development when talk of the upgrade work first began over two years ago.
Officials said the 18,100-seat multi-purpose venue located at Seattle Center is expected to host 200 events each year, including NHL Seattle, the WNBA's Seattle Storm and live music and entertainment acts.
The arena had been scheduled to re-open in June 2021, but a spokesperson said that has been pushed back until sometime later this summer.
A source in the franchise told KOMO News that the partnership deal is a multi-million contract that will span several years.
According to Oak View Group, Climate Pledge Arena will have several key features, including:
- First arena in the world targeting net Zero Carbon certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to advancing sustainable building practices.
- Arena will have all-electric operations and be powered with 100% renewable electricity, both from on-site solar panels and off-site renewable energy. Events at the arena will be made fully net zero carbon through investments in forestry projects with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy that will sequester any remaining carbon emissions from arena operations.
- Carbon emissions and sustainability performance of the arena and all events will be measured and publicly disclosed.
- All operations and events at the arena will be ‘zero waste’ with durable and compostable containers. A minimum of 95% of all arena waste will be diverted from landfills on a weight basis.
- Arena will use reclaimed rainwater in the ice system to create the greenest ice in the NHL.
- Original 44-million-pound roof from the arena will be reused in construction to significantly reduce the embodied carbon of the building.
- At least 75 percent of the arena’s food program will be sourced locally on a seasonal basis to support regional farmers and producers, and all viable unused food from events will be donated to local community food programs.
- NHL Seattle and WNBA Storm tickets will double as free public transit passes to promote use of public transportation for attendees, including on the refurbished Seattle Monorail.
- Amazon and OVG will form the Climate Pledge Arena Sustainability Advisory Council in partnership with community groups to support local environmental initiatives.
A team branding announcement is expected later this summer.
