National Basketball Association

Preliminary designs released for new Seattle arena

Published Dec. 1, 2012 12:19 a.m. ET

foxsports

Investor Chris Hansen has released preliminary design options for the exterior of a proposed NBA arena in Seattle.

The images were released on Friday. The city's design review board is expected to go over the preliminary plans on Dec. 11.

Three different designs for the exterior were revealed, including a preferred option consisting of a rectangular building with the look of a cruise-ship on the top and a large public plaza. The design firm Hansen is using on the project, 360 Architecture, writes that the preferred option emphasizes the ''front-door'' toward downtown Seattle and maximizes the footprint of the arena site, but may lack an ''iconic presence.''

Another option features an extreme oval shape encased in a glass exterior that gives a 360-degree view of the area surrounding the arena. The last option is a rectangular building with a roof line that looks like flowing waves.

All three options feature large public gathering areas.

The arena project is still undergoing environmental reviews. No construction on the $490 million project, which is expected to include $290 million in private funding, will begin until an NBA franchise is secured.