Pollstar (06/25/20) Muret, Don
Amazon has obtained naming rights to the National Hockey League (NHL) Seattle arena, which will officially be named Climate Pledge Arena and designated the first carbon-neutral venue fully powered by renewable electricity. The deal is a joint arrangement between Amazon, NHL Seattle and arena developer Oak View Group (OVG), which is funding the rebuilding of the old KeyArena. Sources estimate that the project's total value runs between $300 million and $400 million, and the arena will not bear Amazon's name when it opens for the 2021-22 NHL season. OVG CEO Tim Leiweke said Amazon is instead promoting a brand image of sustainability. "We all agreed ... it's critical for our industry to acknowledge our planet is sick and it is our obligation to heal it," he added. "There is no other marketplace in the world to set this precedent, create this platform and form a new vision for where we need to go as facility operators, musicians and athletes than Seattle." Among the steps being taken in the venue's reconstruction is decarbonization, or the removal of all infrastructure connected to natural gas, and replacing it with a fully electrical system. Solar panels are also installed on the roof of the arena's entry pavilion and parking garage.
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