Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "new arena"

City Council says 'yes' to new arena plan

2012-03-07T15:13:52Z

With a triumphant shout, Mayor Kevin Johnson cast the final vote in a 7-2 decision in favor of a financing plan to build a new entertainment and sports complex and keep the Sacramento Kings in town for another 30 years.

Cheers, applause and chants of “SAC-RA-MEN-TO” broke out among the more than 250 people in council chambers Tuesday at the end of a four-hour-long City Council meeting that culminated in what Johnson called “a historic vote.”

“Every one of you in the community did not give up,” Johnson said. “People far and wide all played a role and came together. I think we met every milestone along the way, and we made every minute count.”

Johnson and City Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn, Rob Fong, Jay Schenirer, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor of the financing plan.

Council members Sandy Sheedy and Kevin McCarty voted against the plan.

More than 500 people came to City Hall Tuesday – filling the overflow seating in the lobby and a room in Old City Hall – to hear the details of a $400 million financing plan developed over the past year by members of the Think Big Committee, city staff and private consultants hired by the city.

After the first hour of public comment, the opposition to the arena was outnumbered by support by three to one, according to the speaker count from City Clerk Shirley Concolino.

“The financial world is crashing around you, and you are looking to add more public debt,” said Bob Blymer, executive director for the Sacramento County Taxpayers League.

Many speakers opposed to the arena echoed Blymer’s comments, saying the public portion of the financing – which would come largely from a proposed parking monetization plan – would be a mistake.

“We won’t be able to continue (this project) without additional funding,” Sacramento resident John Burger said during public comment. “Your treasurer said you’re considering ‘evaluated risk’ in this situation – well, your risk managers need risk managers.”

Supporters of the arena included business owners, Kings fans and longtime Sacramento residents who encouraged council members to vote in favor of the financing plan.

Linda Budge, vice mayor of Rancho Cordova, encouraged council members to support the recommendation and to move forward with the entertainment and sports complex.

“It’s important for our region and for our citizens. We want people to grow and thrive,” Budge said. “The last thing we want to do is foul out at the end of regulation.”

Lee Perkins, a former radio personality, said the arena is not just for sports, but for children’s events and music events as well.

“We are talking about building a world-class city and a world-class facility,” Perkins said.

Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday morning that he expected “a robust discussion” at the council meeting, and he said after the meeting that he was not disappointed.

“It feels like we’re having our own Super Tuesday here in Sacramento,” Johnson said.

When public comment concluded, Sheedy opened the discussion of details of the financing plan with questions directed to Assistant City Manager John Dangberg.

“There are a lot of assumptions built into these numbers,” Sheedy said. “Aren’t these funding sources really volatile? My feeling is, if something goes wrong with one or two sources, the money just won’t be there.”

Sheedy asked Dangberg questions about the method for calculating the number of jobs that would result from building the arena, as well as questions clarifying how revenue from the sale of public land could be used – other than for an arena.

“When you start taking the people’s land – that is a use of public funds that could be used elsewhere,” Sheedy said.

A staff report released by Sheedy’s office Monday questioned the reliability of the estimated financing numbers in the term sheet, and some speakers – both in support of and in opposition to the arena – referred to it in their comments Tuesday.

“Shame on any council member who would put their interests ahead of the best interests of the city,” said one Sacramento resident who didn’t state his name. “If you do, you will be doing a very Sheedy job.”

Ashby, Schenirer and Rob Fong each spoke briefly in support of the financing plan, yet each acknowledged the risks involved in building an arena.

“We need to strike a balance between not losing a team, doing the best for Sacramento and not letting Natomas be forgotten,” Ashby said.

When Darrell Fong and Pannell announced their support, they were met with loud applause from the audience.

City Manager John Shirey told council members that, with their approval of the financing term sheet, city staff can move on to the next steps toward building the arena.

Those next steps include continuing the search for a parking operator to take over the city’s parking assets and starting the “predevelopment” stage – which includes the design of the new facility and laying the groundwork for getting construction under way.

Included in the final vote was authorization for $850,000 from the city’s parking fund to pay for consulting services to take the city through the predevelopment stage to groundbreaking, which is proposed to begin in late 2013.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MeiissaCorker.

Kings Fans Optimistic About Team, Arena

2010-02-18T05:25:16Z

The Kings have been having a roller coaster season.

The team is undeniably better than last year, but its recent monthlong collapse has left it with a 18-35 record. This tally has been accompanied off-court by injuries, trade rumors, and uncertainty about a new arena and the Kings' future in Sacramento.

While it's a turbulent time to be a Kings fan, most fans who attended Tuesday's home game remained optimistic and excited about the future.

"They're pretty good," William Yu said. "They're making a lot of progress," added the 38-year-old engineer.

"They play all the way, and they're fun to watch," warehouse operator Jerry Sudderberg said.

Much of the optimism centers around the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award, Tyreke Evans, and the development of Kevin Martin. Evans has been a welcome surprise, averaging 20.3 points per game and anchoring the team with his performance. Martin, who is back after being injured and missing more than 30 games, has struggled somewhat since his return. He is just starting to show flashes of his former high-scoring self.

Diane Goodman, a counselor and 24-year resident of Sacramento, said both players are key to the team's success.

"Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin, if they work together, could be a pretty formidable backcourt," she said.

"Don't worry about Kevin, he'll get back in his groove," said light rail operator Ishmael Haqq, 40. "He's a shooter, it's what he does. We love him. Don't go anywhere, K-Mart!"

Throughout the season, there has been much talk and a big push for a new arena for the Kings. The perception of Arco Arena, where the team plays now, seems to be that it's outdated. It was built in 1988, has the second-smallest seating capacity in the NBA and is one of the oldest arenas in use.

To address the issue, Mayor Kevin Johnson has assembled an arena task force; seven proposals for a new arena have been pitched. Johnson said he wants a task-force recommendation by March, which coincides with the NBA application deadline for relocating a team. The last team to relocate was the Seattle SuperSonics, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2008-2009 season.

Most of the fans appear to be in favor of a downtown arena.

"Hell yeah, I would go a downtown arena," said Haqq. "Arco Arena is OK, but it's served its purpose. We need to move on now."

"They deserve a new arena," said Rhonda Sudderberg, a Sacramento resident of 20 years.

"I like Arco Arena, but I think that putting a new arena downtown is important," Yu said. "This building is outdated."

Longtime Kings fan Debra Nyland-Jarvis has worked in economic development for more than 30 years. She said that the proposal involving a three-way land swap, which is backed by the NBA, is best. The three-way land swap is a proposal that would have the state sell Cal Expo to private developers, move the state fairgrounds to Natomas, and build a new arena in the railyards in downtown Sacramento.

"The deal with the three-way land swap makes awesome economic sense," she said. "Sacramento has been trying to revitalize downtown for decades." Nyland-Jarvis referred to the Pepsi Center in Denver, saying that it perked up that city's downtown.

Not all fans were enthusiastic about a new arena, including Nyland-Jarvis' husband, Lowell Jarvis.

"I think this one is fine," he said.

Retail worker Kyle Bradley, 23, agreed.

"I like the arena where it's at right now. I don't know if moving it downtown would be any better or any worse," he said. "I don't really see what the point would be."

Despite how fans feel about a new arena and last year's season, the worst in franchise history, optimism reigns. Haqq best summed up Sacramento's relationship with the Kings.

"We love them."