LA Times: 'Honda Center owners, Anaheim start project to lure Sacramento Kings.'

[Circa_1985_Fan]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nba-anaheim-20120209,0,5755486.story
Honda Center owners Henry and Susan Samueli were joined by Anaheim city leaders Wednesday in a groundbreaking ceremony for a $20-million project described as the most extensive upgrade in the venue's history.

The city maintains a strong interest in luring the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Anaheim is awaiting a March 1 deadline Kings owners have for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to reveal a financing plan to build an arena in Sacramento.

"We can envision a day fans will attend NHL hockey, concerts and NBA basketball games here," Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said at the ceremony, dropping in the NBA's old advertising slogan for effect. "It will be fan-tastic."

Clearly, the potential of an NBA team's arrival in Orange County prompted the Grand Terrace project, a 15,000-square-foot addition that will include indoor and outdoor seating, a new sports-themed restaurant and an expanded team store when completed in early 2013. Eighty percent of 1,000 memberships to a private Grand Terrace area have been sold.

The NBA last year asked the Kings' owners, brothers Gavin and Joe Maloof, to wait one more year before moving the team to Anaheim to give Sacramento a chance to produce an arena plan.

A Sacramento task force called "Think Big" is prepared to unveil its plan for a $387-million downtown railyard arena project to the city council Tuesday, hoping the council will ultimately approve the plan at its Feb. 28 meeting.

Jeremiah Jackson, project manager of the task force, said the venue can be paid for with the help of a parking deal, the sale of existing land where Arco Arena stands and profits from digital signage around the arena.

"The ball's in Sacramento's court," Jackson said. "This is the fourth quarter, and Sacramento's at the free-throw line. I believe the deal will get done."

The Maloofs declined to comment about Sacramento's plan.

Samueli said he's "just waiting and standing on the sidelines" of the Sacramento situation. "If [the Maloofs] need to come to us in the future, they have our phone number."

Samueli said the vision of adding an NBA team to Anaheim "hasn't changed," regardless of the year's wait or Seattle's newly professed interest in soliciting the Kings. The SuperSonics left Seattle and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008-09 season.

"We welcome everyone to participate in the process," Samueli said. "We're absolutely convinced this market and region can support [the NBA]."

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Don't worry. The Anaheim Clippers will be playing there starting in the 2014-2015 season.

 

[JB_kings]

This is really old info. They have been working on this project since June last year and announced publicly. They just now are starting construction. Other than the poor decision of some people to use the Kings name in association with the press conference, it's just a planned upgrade. If you actually go look at the project, it amounts to a new terrace eating area and bigger team store.

And yes one might not have wonder why they waited until a few weeks before March 1st to have the "big" announcement.

Here you go... June 16th in the LA Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/16/sports/la-sp-0617-honda-center-20110617

 

[ArcoKings]

Now that the Clippers are playing very good and have a bright future, Anaheim is no longer a viable location for a newcomer. The few O.C. fans that aren't Lakers fans support the Clippers. There's not enough fan base to support a third team in the O.C. The Kings/Royals would be the DISTANT third team in So Cal even with an improving young team. IMO the Kings stay in Sacramento even with NO new arena.

 

[Spok22]

Now that the Clippers are playing very good and have a bright future, Anaheim is no longer a viable location for a newcomer. The few O.C. fans that aren't Lakers fans support the Clippers. There's not enough fan base to support a third team in the O.C. The Kings/Royals would be the DISTANT third team in So Cal even with an improving young team. IMO the Kings stay in Sacramento even with NO new arena.

Imo if the Kings don't get a new arena, the NBA looks for a buyer to move the team elsewhere.

 

[BMiller52]

Can someone tell these guys in Anaheim to pee off already? For frick's sake this is getting irritating and ridiculous. We have a good chance at getting the arena done and these vultures are still doing their best to sabotage things, even if by this point it's basically just throwing pebbles. Still annoying.

Also ticks me off that the "Maloofs won't comment on the Sacramento plan" or whatever. If they have any intention of sticking around after the arena gets built, they need to throw their hat into the ring and show some support.

 

[whozit]

Can someone tell these guys in Anaheim to pee off already? For frick's sake this is getting irritating and ridiculous. We have a good chance at getting the arena done and these vultures are still doing their best to sabotage things, even if by this point it's basically just throwing pebbles. Still annoying.

Also ticks me off that the "Maloofs won't comment on the Sacramento plan" or whatever. If they have any intention of sticking around after the arena gets built, they need to throw their hat into the ring and show some support.

Since they basically are on the sidelines on this, they may not be allowed to and the paper is spinning the "no comment" as news.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

They aren't saying/doing anything wrong...yes its annoying, yes they are annoying and not in touch with our reality and the fact we're closer to a new arena than they're giving us credit for...but technically they're saying nothing wrong, and unfortunately until we make an official arena announcement Tait and Samueli can go to the Anaheim/LA media all they want to be cheerleaders.

 

[kennadog]

Can someone tell these guys in Anaheim to pee off already? For frick's sake this is getting irritating and ridiculous. We have a good chance at getting the arena done and these vultures are still doing their best to sabotage things, even if by this point it's basically just throwing pebbles. Still annoying.

Also ticks me off that the "Maloofs won't comment on the Sacramento plan" or whatever. If they have any intention of sticking around after the arena gets built, they need to throw their hat into the ring and show some support.

The Maloofs/League are in negotiations over this as we write. I suspect the League doesn't want to Maloofs to comment on anything. Which they really shouldn't, at this point.

We should know soon enough, when Sacramento presents the term sheet for the arena to the League. The amount should be on there, whether it comes from the Kings or the League.