Las Vegas pushes ahead for 20,000 seat arena

Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#2
#2
Tis curious how all of these smaller markets somehow manage to get it together and build a stadium, while Sacramento continues to blunder about like its some rveolutionary concept.

The irony is that I think Sacto might abruptly get it together after the Kings leave them. Its the presence of the apparent deep pockets of the Maloofs that distorts everything. Community after commuity find ways ot put up an arena for entertainemnt purposes with nobody in town, but as soon as they have a tenant, the fixation turns toward making the tenant pay the bill on the next one, rather than just getting their stuff together and building another stadium the way they did the first.
 
PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#3
#3
Bricklayer said:
Tis curious how all of these smaller markets somehow manage to get it together and build a stadium, while Sacramento continues to blunder about like its some rveolutionary concept.
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I'll explain it to you from someone who has lived in this city on and off (but mostly on) since 1973. The downtown core is an old established, old boys/gals political network of anti-biz group think for the most part. I mean look at our stunning, gleeming skyline here in 21st century Sacramento - what a joke! I saw an aireal photograph of it from 1993 a couple days ago and it's virtually identical today - 17 years later. Then I saw photo from 1986 and the only thing I noticed different was construction underway of a 32-story building (still tallest in town) called Wells Fargo Tower. What a fountain of progress to be oh so proud of - no what a pathetic joke! Unfortunately, I can sum it up rather simply.

Sacramento = Big government, oh so good - private business, oh so bad

You know the kind of nameless, faceless, unaccountable government that could care less about what IT DOES. What another horrible, wasteful fiasco, just uncovered, as this link low lights: http://cbs13.com/local/on.the.money.2.1701875.html
 
captain bill

captain bill

All-Star
#4
#4
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/04/new-arena-plans-promise-jobs-seek-public-money/

Couple points here:

-there are about 3 different development plans pushing to get an arena built; the article you linked to is about one, and none of them seem to be a front runner.

-there is heavy opposition to this plan- especially from the big casinos who have their own arenas and are afraid of losing some of the bigger acts to a new arena

-development has really crashed in Vegas in general, and visitor #s to the city have peaked, really supporting the argument that the Vegas population isn't enough to support a team

-there's still the problem of having no approval from any major league to put a team in Vegas, without which the revenue stream is in major doubt


I think if the Kings leave Sacramento, Vegas is low on the destination list
 
PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#5
#5
I was alerted to all this latest Las Vegas arena machinations in their press by a good friend who lives there for about a decade after residing in Northern Calif for most of his life. He agrees that four proposed plans are still quite a bit up in the air but thinks one of them will break ground without question and sooner than things gets done in sleepy, snail-town Sac.

One thing I have not mentioned or seen anywhere is talk that if an NBA team relocates to Sin City it may only play half its games in Vegas and half somewhere else - like Anaheim or San Diego or all three venues. Kansas City-Omaha Kings go full circle to become Las Vegas-Southern California Kings:eek: My friend said that's some of various talk he's heard around town and with new high speed rail line going in between LA and Vegas that might be a further expanding fan base option.
 
Trueblood

Trueblood

Bench
#6
#6
PurpleHaze said:
I was alerted to all this latest Las Vegas arena machinations in their press by a good friend who lives there for about a decade after residing in Northern Calif for most of his life. He agrees that four proposed plans are still quite a bit up in the air but thinks one of them will break ground without question and sooner than things gets done in sleepy, snail-town Sac.

One thing I have not mentioned or seen anywhere is talk that if an NBA team relocates to Sin City it may only play half its games in Vegas and half somewhere else - like Anaheim or San Diego or all three venues. Kansas City-Omaha Kings go full circle to become Las Vegas-Southern California Kings:eek: My friend said that's some of various talk he's heard around town and with new high speed rail line going in between LA and Vegas that might be a further expanding fan base option.
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Not going to happen. Stern already ruled that out and no city wants to share a team with another city. It's tough enough to crank out leases without having to negotiate them with 2 city's at once.

All that being said, Las Vegas is always a threat. I actually saw those stories and was going to add them to my Las Vegas updates thread but decided not to. They have been all talk but no action on the arena front for some time now. I'll believe it when I see it although if shovels actually hit dirt at some point, there's no question that they become a threat. You don't even have to wait until the arena is done. A franchise can just say that it will play temporarily at Thomas and Mack Center until the arena is done.
 
kennadog

kennadog

Dog On It!
#8
#8
It looks like the various plans all rely on some public subsidy, just like Sacramento's plan would. And it looks like that is as problematical as it is here. Just like Sacramento, Las Vegas had one of the top hardest hit real estate markets in the country and their economy sucks right now.

I just wish Sacramento could build/help build one arena/event center. Arco I (temporary) and Arco II were both built with private money. That's why even Arco II was a bare minimum, cheap arena. After 20+ uyears, cheap really looks bad.

Basically, Sacramento has never built, or even contributed to, an arena like Arco for the kind of events that go on there. No other venue in Sacramento will be able to host most, if not all, of those events.

Heck, Sacrmento couldn't help build a baseball stadium at the Arco site. So their poor cousin across the river built one.
 
Circa_1985_Fan

Circa_1985_Fan

All-Star
#9
#9
Yeah, true...West Sac built a very nice MINOR league park...one of the nicest in fact, to hold 14,000 people. What Lukenbill wanted to build was 40,000 or so...so we're really talking apples and watermelons here in the differences. The krux of this land swap undertaking should be coming to a head in the next year, so we'll find out what exactly will happen for Sacramento and the Kings. This NEEDS to happen for our region...it's NEEDED to happen for the past 25 years, actually. It would be the main catalyst for the Railyards, Old Sac, the Waterfront and Downtown as a whole...not to mention a new Cal Expo. I really dont see Las Vegas getting the Kings, or any pro sports team in the next 10-20 years, with the exception of maybe the NHL for whatever reason, which would be stupid. And the Maloofs arent about to move their team to an arena sponsored/funded by a competitor in MGM. I think this quote from the article says it best:
"The question is: Should public funds be used to fund the sixth arena in Clark County?" Hornbuckle said. "Do we need it?"
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Having lived in Vegas in the not too distant past, I know that the gaming side of things would take a hit by getting a pro sports team there, it's a stigma that all the residents of Vegas will have to suffer for due to sports gambling, regardless if they remove whatever potential team is being talked about moving there. It just isnt that easy to plop a nice shiny new arena down in Vegas and teams go 'OOOOOOHHHH!!!' There are TONS more intangibles in play there. Best case for the Kings, to stay in Sac, even if it means going back to the drawing board if the land swap falls through, they wont get the same reception in Vegas, it would look like how the Phillips arena in Atlanta looked for the past 10 years before they got good and folks jumped on the bandwagon...EMPTY! The grass is definitely not greener there by a long shot.
 
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kennadog

kennadog

Dog On It!
#10
#10
Circa: Thanks for bolding the "sixth" arena, that I glossed over. Makes my point even stronger. Sacramento has yet to build ONE arena or stadium. :(
 
Jkbiker

Jkbiker

Starter
#12
#12
An investment group seeking to build an arena on the Las Vegas Strip claims it is on the cusp of purchasing an NBA team to play in the facility.

For the deal to go through, said Chris Milam, CEO of International Development Management LLC, the group must strike a deal with the county to fund construction of the arena — dubbed the Silver State Arena — slated for the old Wet ’n Wild water park site.

“We have an NBA team under contract,” Milam said, declining to name the franchise. But the deal will take effect only if “other pieces of the puzzle fall into place: One of those pieces will be that a building (arena) is approved,” he said.

Milam wouldn’t disclose the franchise he is working with, but Detroit Pistons owner Karen Davidson has said the franchise is for sale.


The above is from the same article as last post

I heard that its been discussed on the radio whether the team in question might be the Kings?

Should we be scared about this?

Has anyone asked the Maloofs?
 
Trueblood

Trueblood

Bench
#13
#13
Here is Voison's story giving the obvious lack of credibility on a team "having a contract with Vegas".

http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2010/07/forget-about-it.html

However, talking to teams this early in the Vegas arena process is basically what San Jose was doing earlier. If Sacramento drops the ball on the convergence plan, they have a head start. Guessing that they would have a team at Thomas and Mack while the new arena is being built.

OTOH, I still think that the Hornets are a wild card. Shinn selling to Chouest has stalled and while Chouest is in the gulf cleaning up, Shinn is in Vegas. Could he be negotiating with the Vegas people?

Forget Detroit. They aren't going anywhere.
 
Circa_1985_Fan

Circa_1985_Fan

All-Star
#15
#15
This is a non-issue as far as the Kings are concerned...except for that if any team DOES move there(which cant happen in the immediate future due to gambling)but even if a team does move there, the only thing the Kings have to worry about is not gambling too much away at the tables when they play whatever team moves there. I have probably been the only Kings fan in Sacramento that WASNT EVER worried about the 'greedy Magoofs' moving the team there, as some people call them. I can almost gaurantee that the Maloofs have never been in any kind of negotiations to move the Kings there...just isnt gonna happen! Everyone needs to step away from the Bee, and whatever other shock value media is making predictions, and just marinate on the fact that the Kings arent moving to Vegas(and hopefully no where else for that matter)and start thinking about Reke DMC tearin' up other teams in Arco Arena!
 
T

Th3RyanKing702

Prospect
#16
#16
Circa_1985_Fan said:
This is a non-issue as far as the Kings are concerned...except for that if any team DOES move there(which cant happen in the immediate future due to gambling)but even if a team does move there, the only thing the Kings have to worry about is not gambling too much away at the tables when they play whatever team moves there. I have probably been the only Kings fan in Sacramento that WASNT EVER worried about the 'greedy Magoofs' moving the team there, as some people call them. I can almost gaurantee that the Maloofs have never been in any kind of negotiations to move the Kings there...just isnt gonna happen! Everyone needs to step away from the Bee, and whatever other shock value media is making predictions, and just marinate on the fact that the Kings arent moving to Vegas(and hopefully no where else for that matter)and start thinking about Reke DMC tearin' up other teams in Arco Arena!
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I wouldnt be surprised if everyone is being mislead thats how the NBA works.
 
Capt. Factorial

Capt. Factorial

ceterum censeo delendum esse Argentum
Staff member
#18
#18
apollo916 said:
More than likely the team under contract is the Warriors.
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That doesn't seem terribly likely. The Warriors have just been sold. Like within the last week. How could this investment group have a future deal in place to buy a team that was already in the process of being sold?
 
Trueblood

Trueblood

Bench
#19
#19
Capt. Factorial said:
That doesn't seem terribly likely. The Warriors have just been sold. Like within the last week. How could this investment group have a future deal in place to buy a team that was already in the process of being sold?
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Yeah, they aren't going anywhere unless you count going to SF as a move. That being said, getting something done in SF is a long shot so I see them at Oracle for a long time.

I hope the Vegas team, if it exists, is the Clippers as there's no need for 2 teams in one building like we have with the Lakers and Clippers.

At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if there is no team "under contract" for a Vegas arena. That may have just been something to get people excited and gain momentum for their arena bid.
 
Rookie

Rookie

Starter
#20
#20
Maloofs can say whatever but in the end...if they're not getting a new arena, they will move.
$$$ talk BS walk...if Sac is going to BS, they walk.
 
PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#21
#21
Of course, Maloof's will move the team if there's no new arena in Sac. At some point ancient Arco Arena will be condemed as unsafe and unfit for NBA basketball - as NCAA has already judged it to be. The Maloof's have repeatedy said they have "no plans to move," (at the present time) and are "patient" (until they become impatient). I'm sure they will continue to explore relocation options (such as recent foray to Seattle) because like any smart biz people they know they can't rely on endless hopes and wishes.
 
Circa_1985_Fan

Circa_1985_Fan

All-Star
#22
#22
Capt. Factorial said:
That doesn't seem terribly likely. The Warriors have just been sold. Like within the last week. How could this investment group have a future deal in place to buy a team that was already in the process of being sold?
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Yeah, Oracle is a GREAT arena, and I dont see the new owners wanting to move from that palace of a home court. You'd be hard pressed to find a better situation ANYWHERE other than in Oakland...beautiful arena, decent local support(given on court product), size of media market...I say its slim or none that they're the mystery 'team under contract' for Vegas.
 
Capt. Factorial

Capt. Factorial

ceterum censeo delendum esse Argentum
Staff member
#23
#23
Circa_1985_Fan said:
Yeah, Oracle is a GREAT arena, and I dont see the new owners wanting to move from that palace of a home court. You'd be hard pressed to find a better situation ANYWHERE other than in Oakland...beautiful arena, decent local support(given on court product), size of media market...I say its slim or none that they're the mystery 'team under contract' for Vegas.
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You appear to have missed the point entirely. If the Warriors are currently in the process of being sold to Group A, it is highly unlikely that they are also under contract to be bought by Group B. How difficult is this?
 
kennadog

kennadog

Dog On It!
#24
#24
PurpleHaze said:
Of course, Maloof's will move the team if there's no new arena in Sac. At some point ancient Arco Arena will be condemed as unsafe and unfit for NBA basketball - as NCAA has already judged it to be. The Maloof's have repeatedy said they have "no plans to move," (at the present time) and are "patient" (until they become impatient). I'm sure they will continue to explore relocation options (such as recent foray to Seattle) because like any smart biz people they know they can't rely on endless hopes and wishes.
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I'm sure the Maloofs would like to keep the Kings in Sacramento. It is obvious, though, that they need a new arena at some point and they can't wait forever. They've been patient about trying to get a new arena for over 10 years, but that patience will end sometime, if nothing gets done.

If the Kings leave Sacramento, it won't be the Maloofs fault for leaving. It'll be because Sacramento shoves them out the exit door. You can't dump a city that has already decided to dump you.
 
Rookie

Rookie

Starter
#25
#25
With the emergence of potential stars on the team, I think they could very well be looking into option of moving into a bigger market city.

But I do agree that Sacramento need to step it up and get this done. We still have control over their decision and it would be our own fault for not giving it all.
 
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