When the Explosion basketball team left Everett, its move to small Monroe came as something of a surprise to many. One of the main inducements, team organizers explained at the time, was an unofficial but convincing promise by someone in high office that Monroe would soon get a full sized sports arena. The location of the future arena remained unnamed, but was widely rumored to be the fairgrounds.

Team organizers also believed that the arena would be constructed in time for the basketball season of 2009. But so far, there is no sign of construction or even plans for construction, and the team is getting anxious.

"We moved up here because of the promises that were made," said Brad Sturlaugson, general manager of the team. "There were discussions that were made and there were promises and if there isn't movement in a real short time frame, we will go public with them."

The Explosion left Everett last year due to failed scheduling negotiations with the Everett Sports Arena. The team planned to spend the first year in Monroe playing at the Monroe High School sports arena, which they outfitted with an improved sound system and other pro-sports amenities. But the plan was never to spend more than a year at the school, said team organizers.

"We can't play in a high school gym for the rest of our career," said Sturlaugson. Although nothing was stated officially, the fairgrounds was the site at which the new arena was to be located, according to many sources close to the team. And indeed, such a facility appears in the comprehensive plan for the fairgrounds, which is part of the Snohomish County Parks Department. But there aren't necessarily any immediate plans for an arena, said Tom Tiegen, director of the department. "We continue to look at a number of opportunities for public to enjoy the fairgrounds," said Tiegen. "One of the topics has been the opportunity to expand."

The topic came up last week at a meeting between several of the top stake holders in the improvement of the fairgrounds. One of those stake holders was Neil Watkins, director of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, who said that improvements to the fairgrounds are important to Monroe's economic health. "If that facility deteriorates, it can begin to have an impact on the fairgrounds and the weekly events they have there," he said. And those events, including the annual fair, bring about $24 million in revenue to the area, said Tiegen. And it does so at low cost to the county.

"The fairgrounds is one of the largest economic drivers in the county, and one of the few pieces of the parks department that operates in the black," said Tiegen. He acknowledged that the fairgrounds needs some refurbishment, and said that the county is planning to invest about $1 million into projects this year.

But although there appears to be a need for a large sports facility that could seat about 5,500 people and that could accommodate not only pro sports but large equestrian and other events, the county didn't promise the team a new arena for their use, said Christopher Schwartzen, spokesperson for Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon's office. "I'm unaware of the executive making the team any promises that the county would build a facility at the fairgrounds for them," he said.

Nevertheless, promises were made, the team said, and if no arena materializes, the team likely will leave Monroe. "Even if this can't be done by the next season, if we knew it would be in place by our third season, then that might be enough to keep us in Monroe," said Sturlaugson.

Already the team's plans for an arena football team, which can't be realized with no arena, have been put on hold, said Sturlaugson. "I was certainly expecting something would be done by now," he said. "We wouldn't have moved up here if we thought things were going to take this long."

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