Permission to actually build the center should come in pieces over the next six weeks. As planned for a four-block property south of Esther Short Park, the public portion of the facility would include a 6,500-seat arena for sports and community events and a 41,500-sf convention center. A $20-million, three-star 174-room hotel also would be developed on the property by Renaissance Resource Group, an Arizona-based private partner in the project that must sell the arena's naming rights for about $7 million to make the financing plan pencil out.

The bonds are being sold to the Seattle-based investment bank Piper Jaffray, which would market them to individual investors. The district would pay back bondholders over 25 years using a 2% hotel-motel tax and a sales tax credit approved in 1999 by the state legislature. The interest rate is expected to be about 5%.

Anchor tenants of the facility are planned to be five minor-league teams playing hockey, indoor football, soccer, basketball and tennis. The remaining available dates will be marketed to event promoters and community groups.

The city hopes to break ground this year on the project. At the council meeting, a group called Citizens for Common Sense vowed to begin passing petitions immediately, calling for a vote of the people, which is not required in this case because there will be no upfront increase in property taxes or a new public tax being created to fund the project.