David Bean of B2 Inc., talked about his group and its proposed entertainment facility that could host an NBA and NHL franchise, in light of the city and a private investment group headed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulling the plug on a $300 million proposal to rebuild KeyArena.

Bean is the senior director of WongDoody Communications in Seattle, a public relations firm, and worked as president and general manager of the Tacoma Rainiers from 1995 to 1996.

Bean said his group, which includes partner, former Sonics Fred Brown, has met with an engineering group and are pursuing a feasibility studying on their proposal, which could total $1 billion. They plan for the feasibility study to be completed in two months.

Bean and Brown’s vision is the Emerald City Center, an Epcot-like exposition center and sports arena with a retractable roof.

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According to Bean, the group also has secured financial support from several private investors willing to support the project financially, along with over 70 people who have signed up to be part of a community advisory board for the project.

“The biggest, pleasant surprise has been the amount of folks of financial involvement that have contacted us,” Bean said. “We have gotten an awful lot of very legitimate financial entities essentially bidding for the right to represent us to put the money together for the project.”

Bean said Brown has presented the group’s plan to the NBA. Bean’s group still believes the Seattle SuperSonics are leaving and is looking to secure both an NBA franchise and NHL team for their facility.

“The timing of our announcement was designed to begin the communication with the Board of Governors,” Bean said. “Even though there are no plans for expansion, we wanted them to know there are plans for a facility here for an expansion team.

“A lot can change when you have plans to build a facility. We wanted to let them know there wasn’t’ a vacuum here -- that there were some folks with some other plans or ideas. It’s probably fortuitous that this approach started before the Board of Governors meeting.”

Securing a location for the project still remains a major hurdle. The Port of Seattle has said it has no intentions of building an arena at the group’s preferred site at Pier 46, which is currently being used a container shipping facility. The group also has four other sites picked out, including three near Safeo Field, and one at Seattle Center.

“The main challenge has been location,” Bean said. “We know that like any real estate venture, location is critical. If you don’t put it in the right place it will have a detrimental effect. We’re still in the research phase of finding an ideal solution.”

Bean said the group would still like to talk to the port about the land at Pier 46. And believes the project would be better served if located near Safeco Field to take advantage of infrastructure already in place. Bean also believes the project would have greater economic impact if located in that area.

Although they have not been approached by Ballmer’s group, Bean said he and Brown would welcome a partnership with the well-financed private investment group.

“We are certainly open to any and all opportunities,” Bean said. “We like those guys. Fred (Brown) knows a couple of those guys personally. And we would welcome a chance to talk with them. It would be awesome to have gentleman of that caliber involved with us.”