Arena: A Reality?

Comprehensive, archived coverage of Sacramento's on-going quest to build a sports and entertainment complex.

   
 

    Part of Series

  • ICON-Taylor
    City Council to Vote On Part of Arena Funding Plan
    At its meeting tonight, the Sacramento City Council will hear the official presentation of the parking study it commissioned.
    Tuesday, December 13, 2011 5:03 PM
  • Mayor: NBA Labor Woes Delayed Arena Talks/Council Vote
    Mayor Kevin Johnson says all of the key parts of a new sports and entertainment complex deal will probably not be ready for a vote on December 13th, as he had hoped.
    Tuesday, November 29, 2011 3:11 PM
  • Kansas City's Arena Success
    Sacramento’s arena proposal follows Kansas City’s lead in many ways. Kansas City’s former mayor was in Sacramento today to talk about her experience
    Thursday, November 17, 2011 4:38 PM
  • Arena Supporters Say The Greener The Better
    Proponents of a new arena in downtown Sacramento say this is Sacramento’s chance to be an example of how “green” a huge project can be.
    Friday, October 28, 2011 4:59 PM
  • Environmental Review for New Arena Proposal Begins
    The City of Sacramento has begun the environmental review process needed to build a new arts and sports arena at the Railyards.
    Thursday, October 13, 2011 5:46 PM
  • Commentary: Arena Debate a Matter of Trust
    Sacramento officials and business leaders are working to find the best options for funding the proposed arena complex. But commentator Bruce Maiman thinks they're missing a much larger point.
    Thursday, September 15, 2011 12:36 AM
  • City of Sacramento
    City Reviews Arena Proposal, Recommends Changes
    The Sacramento City Council now has much more information about the possible funding for… and the costs of… a new arena.
    Tuesday, September 13, 2011 4:07 PM
  • Funding Options Unveiled For Proposed Arena
    A task force pushing for a new Arena in downtown Sacramento is out with recommendations on how to pay for the 400 million dollar facility. Officials say it’s a big step in the city’s efforts to keep the Sacramento Kings basketball team in town.
    Thursday, September 8, 2011 7:09 PM
  • ICON-Taylor
    Redistricting Causes Arena Funding Report Delay
    The Sacramento City Council was all set for September 6th to hear how a sports and entertainment complex might be funded. Now the report will be delivered at the Sacramento Press Club on the 8th.
    Friday, September 2, 2011 9:55 AM
  • Courtesy Think Big Sacramento
    Report On Arena Financing Options Due Next Week
    Next week the arena committee is supposed to come up with some kind of financing plan. Sacramento Business Journal Editor Jack Robinson says there’s a lot of speculation about what the plan’s going to look like.
    Friday, September 2, 2011 5:27 AM
  • Arena Supporters Say Vacant Lots Could Fund New Arena
    The group that has been tasked with identifying funding sources for a new arena says Sacramento has about 20 properties it could sell to raise money. It would get the city a little closer to paying for the 387 million dollar arena.
    Thursday, September 1, 2011 5:55 PM
  • Capital Public Radio
    Think Big Says Local Contractors Will Have a Leg Up On Bidding for Arena Work
    Group pushing for a new arena says companies in the region should get a competitive advantage when it comes to bidding for jobs.
    Friday, August 26, 2011 5:05 PM
  • Photo by arena design firm Populous, from www.thinkbigsacramento.org
    Hot Dog, Ticket, Parking Fees Could Help Fund Arena
    From ticket surcharges to naming rights, the various funding sources for a new Sacramento Kings arena are starting to take shape. Mayor Kevin Johnson’s task force released a report Thursday on how user fees could help fund the $387 million project.
    Thursday, August 18, 2011 5:20 PM
  • Market Complicates Property Selling Plan for New Arena
    Sacramento's proposed new sports and entertainment complex is expected to cost nearly $400 million. The city hopes to raise some of that by selling off properties it owns. But how much are those properties worth in the down real estate market?
    Friday, August 5, 2011 12:52 AM
  • Think Big: New Arena Helps Pay For Itself
    The group's finance committee says the city of Sacramento has the resources in place to fund 200 million dollars of the total cost of a new sports and entertainment complex.
    Thursday, July 28, 2011 5:59 PM
  • Think Big Says It's Getting Big Support
    The Think Big coalition says it has expanding regional support as it tries to find funding for a new entertainment and sports complex.
    Thursday, July 21, 2011 5:24 PM
  • Arena Proponents Hit the Road
    The group behind a new sports and entertainment complex toured the Sacramento region today on a very big bus. Those on the bus had a lot to say about possible funding options.
    Thursday, July 14, 2011 5:06 PM
  • ICON-Taylor
    Report Says New Arena Would Be Worth Billions to Region
    Sacramento and surrounding counties could see $5 million each per year in spending from visitors.
    Thursday, June 30, 2011 7:45 PM
  • Arena Feasibility Study Released
    The ICON-Taylor development group has delivered its arena feasibility study to the city of Sacramento. The pictures may be pretty, but the dirty work is just beginning.
    Thursday, May 26, 2011 7:14 PM
  • ICON-Taylor
    UPDATED: ICON-Taylor Reveals Plan Details For New Arena
    New details are out about the ICON-Taylor group’s plans for a new entertainment and sports complex. Some numbers will be released in the group's presentation to the Sacramento City Council on Thursday, but questions remain about other key numbers.
    Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:41 AM
  • Photo By James Morrison
    Despite City Budget Troubles, Johnson Pushes For New Arena
    Sacramento city officials will release the cost of a new sports and entertainment complex this week. At the same time, the city is cutting budgets to all departments.
    Wednesday, May 25, 2011 9:18 AM
  • Photo by James Morrison
    Thousands Of Sacramento Kings Fans Rally Downtown
    Several thousand Sacramento Kings fans crowded into Cesar Chavez Plaza last night to celebrate another season with the team.
    Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:45 AM
  • New Arena Next Step In Kings Struggle
    Sacramento may have convinced the owners of the city’s only professional sports franchise not to leave town. But the region must now figure out how to build a new sports and entertainment complex if the team is to stay.
    Wednesday, May 4, 2011 9:45 AM
  • Kings Fans Influence Team's Decision To Stay
    The Sacramento Kings will be playing in Sacramento next season. Kings’ fans are getting credit for keeping the team in town.
    Monday, May 2, 2011 5:17 PM
  • Kings Staying Put For At Least One More Season
    Kings co-owner Joe Maloof told The Associated Press that the NBA club will remain in Sacramento for at least one more season to give Mayor Kevin Johnson a chance to follow through on his promise for a new arena.
    Monday, May 2, 2011 10:11 AM
  • Public Support for New Arena May Be Greater Without Kings
    Mayor Kevin Johnson says plans for a new sports and entertainment complex are continuing under the assumption the Kings are leaving Sacramento.
    Wednesday, March 9, 2011 9:27 AM
  • Kings Or No Kings: Business Leaders Say New Arena Is Essential
    Whether the Sacramento Kings go or stay, Sacramento’s business leaders say the area needs a new entertainment and sports complex.
    Friday, March 4, 2011
  • Busy Agenda For City Council
    Hiring a permanent city manager. A new Kings arena. And a potential fee for drivers involved in accidents. All three issues are on the Sacramento City Council’s Tuesday night meeting agenda.
    Tuesday, January 25, 2011
  • CPR photo/Ben Adler
    Arena Task Force Picks ICON-Taylor
    A group with two big names – but few details in its proposal – is the first choice of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s task force to build a new basketball arena.
    Friday, January 21, 2011 12:11 PM
  • CPR photo/Ben Adler
    New Frontrunner in Arena Quest?
    Momentum appeared to be building behind the latest proposal for a new Sacramento Kings arena at Thursday's hearing held by Mayor Kevin Johnson’s arena task force.
    Thursday, January 6, 2011 9:01 PM
  • Deadline for Arena Proposals is Here (Again...)
    Four groups have submitted proposals to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s arena task force by Thursday’s noon deadline.
    Wednesday, December 29, 2010 6:24 PM
  • City Council to Weigh Exclusive Arena Talks Tuesday
    The Sacramento City Council could take the next step towards a new downtown basketball arena Tuesday night. It’s set to vote on an “Exclusive Right to Negotiate” agreement with the backers of a complex land swap plan.
    Monday, April 26, 2010
  • Business Journal: Local Contractors Want Arena Work
    A downtown arena for the Sacramento Kings is far from a done deal, but contractors are already battling for the work.
    Friday, April 23, 2010
  • An aerial view of the Cal Expo grounds (CPR file photo/Ben Adler)
    Arena Project Backer: Economic Model is Sound
    The lead developer behind the group pushing a new Sacramento Kings arena says his complex land-swap proposal would be a tremendous benefit for the region.
    Wednesday, April 7, 2010
  • Arena Panel Backs Railyards Site, Complex Land Swap
    The city of Sacramento should support building a new basketball arena at the downtown Railyards property. That’s the recommendation from a task force created by Mayor Kevin Johnson, which presented its findings to the city council Thursday.
    Thursday, March 11, 2010
  • The under-development Railyards property
    Arena Task Force Unveils Proposals; NBA, Maloofs Pick a Side
    The NBA and the owners of the Sacramento Kings have thrown their support behind a proposal for a new arena at the Railyards property just north of Downtown Sacramento.
    Thursday, January 14, 2010
  • Study: Arena Would Bring New Jobs to Region
    A new Sacramento Kings basketball arena would bring more than 200 permanent and 1,300 temporary jobs to the region. That's in a new study released Wednesday by the task force charged by Mayor Kevin Johnson with studying proposals for a new arena.
    Thursday, January 7, 2010

THE FOUR PROPOSALS CONSIDERED BY THE SACRAMENTO FIRST CITIZENS' COMMITTEE

Next StepsUPDATE 1/21/2011

The Sacramento First citizens' committee has released its rankings of the four proposals. In its report to the Mayor and the City Council titled "The Next Steps," the committee cites the ICON/Taylor plan as its first choice, followed in order by CORE, Convergence and Natomas.

Click here to read the full Next Steps report (pdf)

 

For much of the past decade, Sacramento city officials and business leaders have contemplated building a new facility to replace the aging Arco Arena, home to the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team and an assortment of touring concerts and events. Here's a brief history:

In November of 2006, voters soundly rejected two tax measures that would have funded a new arena.

In 2007, the NBA began two years of exclusive negotiations with the board that runs the State Fair, only to have that plan fizzle out.

In 2009, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson created the Sacramento First Task Force, a citizens' committee tasked with developing a plan for a new sports and entertainment complex in Sacramento.  But the panel's top choice, a complex three-way land swap, stalled on a number of fronts.

Now, the Task Force is trying again.  It's weighing proposals from four groups. We're examining all of them in-depth in a series of segments on Insight.  You can listen to those segments below.  You can also listen to recent Capital Public Radio news reports - and look back at Arena stories from previous years.

The Natomas Plan
Natomas
 
Jeff Baize, who represents the Natomas ESC Partners plan, talks about why he thinks building a new site in the Natomas area make more sense than building in downtown Sacramento.  Natomas team proposal update  (pdf)
 
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The ICON/Taylor Plan   
 
ICONDeveloper David Taylor and his partners want to build a new sports and entertainment complex in the downtown railyards, where they believe it will have the greatest impact on the Sacramento community. ICON/Taylor team proposal update, part 1
part 2 (pdf)   
 
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The Convergence Plan  
convergence
 
Developer Gerry Kamilos explains how his new Convergence plan is different from the one that collapsed last year.
 
   
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The CORE Plan
core
 
Ali Mackani represents the CORE team, which stands for Community Organized Redevelopment Effort,  which hopes to "realize the vision of a downtown entertainment and sports complex that would transform one of the City's most challenging areas, the downtown core."
 
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