▁to ▁begin ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 – 7 7 ▁season . ▁The ▁N HL ▁briefly ▁fl irt ed ▁with ▁re loc ating ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁P engu ins ▁to ▁Seattle ▁( and ▁the ▁California ▁Golden ▁Se als ▁to ▁Den ver ) ▁to ▁address ▁a ▁trouble d ▁market ▁and ▁fill ▁the ▁expansion ▁commit ment , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁kept ▁the ▁team ▁there . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁the ▁Seattle ▁franch ise ▁award ▁was ▁res c ind ed ▁altogether ▁when ▁the ▁potential ▁ownership ▁group ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁funds ▁for ▁the ▁expansion ▁fee . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁city ▁council ▁approved ▁a ▁deal ▁for ▁a ▁priv ately - owned ▁$ 1 0 0   mill ion ▁facility ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁A cker ley ▁land ▁in ▁So Do , ▁despite ▁ob jections ▁over ▁traffic ▁and ▁par king ▁by ▁the ▁Se ah aw ks ▁and ▁Mar in ers ▁in ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁King d ome . ▁The ▁city ' s ▁contribution ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁wa ive ▁about ▁$ 3 1   mill ion ▁in ▁tax ▁reven ues ▁( about ▁$ 1   mill ion ▁per ▁year ) ▁to ▁potentially ▁be ▁collected ▁on ▁adm issions ▁fe es ▁at ▁the ▁new ▁ar ena . ▁It ▁would ▁also ▁pay ▁$ 2   mill ion ▁for ▁street ▁improvements ▁around ▁the ▁proposed ▁site , ▁including ▁a ▁ped est rian ▁walk way ▁over ▁South ▁Royal ▁Br ough am ▁Way . ▁A cker ley ▁also ▁agreed ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁ 3 0