I am in no way shape or form affected by this arena deal, but I sure hope you guys get it. It would be a shame to strip the best fans in the NBA of their team. Since Ive never been to Sacramento, what are the main problems with Arco that are forcing the chance? Silly question maybe, but I come from Eastern Canada. Seating capacity? Stadium Location? Too old? Too ugly?
There are numerous problems with the arena, well documented over the years.
It has a smallish floor space for larger events (monster trucks, circus, motocross, etc).
The foundations of the structure, while sound for the existing structure, are not capable of supporting a remodeling project that will impose additional loading on them.
There is a long turnaround time between certain types of events, especially with ice-related ones. This limits the number of events you can hold over a certain time frame due to turnaround time.
The roof has been prone to leaks, including one instance where a Kings game was delayed to fix it.
There is only one concourse, with few amenities and little room to move around.
Long lines due to lack of eating facilities.
Locker rooms are among the smallest and least comfortable in the league.
The list goes on and on. You can see more here (including a handy graphic with some details at the bottom):
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/arena/story/12974798p-13821810c.html
Some quotes:
Cheap folding chairs and an absence of lockers give the visitors' locker room at Arco Arena a shabby look. The Kings' locker room, while much nicer, is still spartan compared with those of other NBA teams.
Bobby Hernreich, a minority owner for the Kings, acknowledges that such fans present a ticklish situation for the organization. How do they honor the iconic stature that Arco carries in the community while at the same time pushing for a state-of-the-art facility?
"The public likes Arco; it's familiar and it brings them closer to the action, " Hernreich said. "But the truth is, Arco is impractical. A 450,000-square-foot arena in this day and age doesn't work. The optimum size is almost twice as big."
Compared to modern arenas, he said, the facility is small, the layout awkward, the seats uncomfortable and poorly placed, the concourses narrow, the kitchen too cramped, the amenities too few - problems he argues can't be fixed with piecemeal renovations.
Stern has said several times that Arco soon will be obsolete, and that the Kings need a state-of-the-art arena if they're to stay in Sacramento.
While fans might love Arco, they would find that modern facilities offer far more amenities, according to the architects. They're more like upscale shopping plazas, with an array of stores, a wide choice of restaurants and hopping after-hours clubs.
To speed customers through food lines, new arenas have a cash register for every 100 to 111 seats, according to 360's comparison. At Arco, the ratio is 1-to-307. Arco has fewer suites than state-of-the-art arenas and no high-priced club seats. It also lags in restroom capacity.
There's one eight-burner stove in the kitchen. While the newer arenas have several wide concourses, Arco has one relatively narrow passage, made more cramped by portable food and souvenir booths.
Arco's auditorium design is also obsolete, Heinlein and Schrock said. Sight lines for lower-level seats are often obscured because the rise between one row and the next is not high enough. There's less seating for disabled people than would be required in a new arena.
Arco's "completely outdated" ice system requires two days to make a sheet of ice, Schrock said. That's made it impossible to lure a hockey team and difficult to hold ice-related events, according to John Thomas, president of Maloof Sports and Entertainment.
Howard said the average modern arena has more than 80 luxury suites and thousands of club seats. Between 1985 and 1994, the average arena (in 2003 dollars) cost $150 million. By comparison, arenas built between 1995 and 2003 cost an average of $223 million (in 2003 dollars).
In discussions about replacing Arco, the Kings owners have said they want an "NBA standard" venue with wider seats and more shopping and dining options. They propose more seats - 18,000 from 17,317 - as well as 5,000 club or VIP seats and at least 55 luxury suites. They've indicated they think a new facility would cost about $400 million.
Whether fans see the need or not, the issue isn't going away, according to Chamber of Commerce President Matt Mahood. A chamber-led panel concluded last year that Arco has five years of useful life remaining. Mahood said that message has yet to be absorbed by the public.
"Maloof Sports has done such a great job of customer service that any problems with Arco are hidden pretty well," Mahood said.
The Bee's Terri Hardy can be reached at (916) 321-1073 or
thardy@sacbee.com.
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, May 29, 2005
Maybe no one in this forum is opposed (or maybe there is?) to it but i had to just let out my feelings about it. There is such a thing as being a Kings fan but not want your taxes raised because of them. 
