opera's occupation was only temporary, structural issues were not addressed and the arena was shut down after 2003. For concerts, it had a capacity between 5,000 and 8,000 depending on seating configuration. The building sat dormant from 2003 until its demolition in 2017. Redevelopment On December 4, 2007, Mayor Greg Nickels announced a proposal to convert the arena into use by the Seattle Opera. The building will contain administrative offices, rehearsal spaces and workshops for the company. Sharing a common wall with the opera's performance venue at McCaw Hall, the arena would allow sets to be built within the workshop, then transported directly to the stage. This would be the first company in the world to have such an amenity. The Seattle Opera moved to lease the arena from the city, hoping to raise enough to convert the arena; the Great Recession of the late 2000s forced the opera company to put the project on hold in 2008, and to negotiate a lease-option extension with the city in 2010. In February 2016, the Seattle Opera unveiled plans for a $60 million facility to replace the Mercer Arena. The new building, named the Seattle Opera at the Center, is planned to be four stories tall and house of space for offices, storage, scene assembly, and community spaces. The condemned arena was demolished in 2017. References External links Redevelopment website at SeattleOpera.org Indoor arenas in Washington (state) Seattle Center Sports venues in Seattle Western Hockey League arenas Sports venues completed in 1927 1927 establishments in Washington (state) Sports venues demolished in 2017 Demolished buildings and structures in Washington (state)