By a vote of 5-4 the Seattle City Council voted down the potential street vacation, which would have meant selling land on Occidental Ave. South to permit investor Chris Hansen to build his proposed $490 million arena.

Council member Lisa Herbold of District 1, representing West Seattle and South Park had earlier spoken about her proposed amendment tying the vacation to the presence of an NBA or NHL team but that amendment was voted down. She spoke about the potential effects on West Seattle and South Park businesses and people who depend on access to downtown through that corridor.

In the end it didn't matter since the vacation did not pass. it means that bringing back the Seattle Supersonics will have to take a different path than the one proposed by Hansen.

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer released this statement on the matter:

“The 5-4 vote of the Council to break up the Hansen monopoly opens up other opportunities for potential NBA and NHL owners to come to the Seattle area.

“I commend the majority of the Seattle City Council for stepping back from the precipice of a potentially bad decision. Public policy should be based on fact, not fiction.

“For all of the fans who want the Supersonics back, there are options other than Chris Hansen. This decision creates opportunities to look at the other potential locations for an arena.

“If the city had committed to the Hansen vacation, it would have limited the potential sites.

“This is a vote that means there are now more opportunities—not just one.”