The retractable roof feature is back in play. That makes my day. 
Hypothetically speaking, if the retractable roof was in play, what would you do about the scoreboard? It would obviously be impossible to keep a scoreboard up there when you open up the roof unless you know how to suspend it from mid air. Would they take it down every time the roof opened up? That would seem to be pretty tough. Then again, with all the ideas that are getting floated around (no pun intended), maybe they are going to give us the first helicoptor/scoreboard where a helicoptor in the form of a scoreboard stays up there for concerts and what not (sarcasm off).
On a more serious note, I think they are making a mistake by having capacity at less than what you have at STA. Back when new arena discussions began with previous ownership a decade ago, the team was selling out every game and could've sold out a 20,000 seat arena on just about every night had there been a building in place at that size. By saying that the majority of the events over the last few years have been below 17,000 and therefore an 18,500 seat arena is unnecessary is a bit short sighted. With a good team and strong ownership in place, nightly sellouts in an 18,500 seat arena are almost a given. I'd hate to see attendance capped at 17,200 with Vivek as owner and the possibility of great things in store.
The tentative plans right now give us the option to bring in movable bleachers to fill the open end of the horseshoe as well as standing-room tickets on the concourses above there. Typically they would only do that for the highest-demand games (e.g. playoffs) but I suppose that home openers and the like might see the same kind of treatment.
I actually think it's kind of nice to have a variable 17K/20K seating arrangement, where the extra 3K seats give way to a beautiful and unique architectural feature most of the time. Most of the time 17K is all we'd sell anyway. But then there's the ability to go to 20K (which STA/other full-bowl arenas can't do) while also allowing for a more dense 17K for regular events, rather than having thousands of unsold seats in the upper bowl. Seems like a win-win.
I actually think it's kind of nice to have a variable 17K/20K seating arrangement, where the extra 3K seats give way to a beautiful and unique architectural feature most of the time. Most of the time 17K is all we'd sell anyway. But then there's the ability to go to 20K (which STA/other full-bowl arenas can't do) while also allowing for a more dense 17K for regular events, rather than having thousands of unsold seats in the upper bowl. Seems like a win-win.
Probably. I was a bit taken aback that the seating was going to be limited to 17 k when the major point of building a new arena was not only to add luxury boxes but to make it bigger. It needed a bigger footprint for a variety of reasons. It is nice to have sell outs but why lose those occasional opportunities to sell more tickets? That's income lost.
The current plans according to Granger call for around 17,500, which, while not big by any means, is still larger than STA. Plus it's rather difficult comparing the past to present as improvements in sports broadcasting have really made quite a dent in people's desires to go to games (the NFL has been grappling with this problem ever since Goodell's tenure started). Just because you can make a bigger arena doesn't mean you should.
I disagree about needing more capacity. There's good logic behind using a more realistic number. It's not about being short-sighted, IMHO. It's about being honest in your expectations. There is NO way you can count on "nightly sellouts in an 18,500 seat arena" ... One thing they've talked about wanting to keep is part of the flavor and atmosphere of Arco. You get too big and that just isn't gonna happen.
I don't see Vivek as being anything even remotely resembling short-sighted. I have the utmost faith in him, along with the Jacobs brothers and AECON, to give Sacramento the best possible facility for a variety of events, not just basketball.
I don't see Vivek as being anything even remotely resembling short-sighted. I have the utmost faith in him, along with the Jacobs brothers and AECON, to give Sacramento the best possible facility for a variety of events, not just basketball.
At the least, they'll make sure there's plenty of 'standing room' for those special events.
I'd rather that it was slightly on the smaller side, as oppossed to too large. Chicago made this mistake in my opinion, with their arena. Never has been even close to what the old Chicago Stadium was, in terms of feel and atmosphere
I'd rather that it was slightly on the smaller side, as oppossed to too large. Chicago made this mistake in my opinion, with their arena. Never has been even close to what the old Chicago Stadium was, in terms of feel and atmosphere
Um, you can make the facility bigger and have the same amount of seats. Concourses, dressing rooms, staging areas, kitchens, storage areas, etc., can all be huge and the facility can still seat the same number of customers. It will just be a lot nicer for the same amount of folks.
Besides, would you rather be discounting tickets to fill the extra 1,000 seats or be able to have lots of sellouts and charge more per seat? I'm sure they have thought about this. I am also sure they know how many they can comfortably sit with the arena shape they want to use.
I'll trust they know what they are doing and not get too concerned about it.
It will just be a lot nicer for the same amount of folks.Besides, would you rather be discounting tickets to fill the extra 1,000 seats or be able to have lots of sellouts and charge more per seat? I'm sure they have thought about this. I am also sure they know how many they can comfortably sit with the arena shape they want to use.
I'll trust they know what they are doing and not get too concerned about it.
They figured it out....
Who knows, maybe you'll get it but I just think it's a waste of money when other necessities are more important.
Reliant Stadium Basketball
Lucas Oil Field Basketball
Lucas Oil field, both retractable roof and sliding window opening.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Like I've said before, the retractable roof part is more amusing to me than something that I'm thinking we have to have. However, if Vivek and Co. want to make it retractable, then that is on them. It will not require using extra money from the city, so it is of no worry to us. There is a salary cap for teams, so it's not going to impact the teams ability to compete with other teams for players. In fact, it may help in free agency. Why are we putting limitations on how nice an arena can be? Thinking about all the possibilities of how the arena can be built is fun. Arco was built bare bones minimum. Maloofs were going to do the same thing if they built one. Let your imagination go, now that there appears to be few limitations.
Lucas Oil Field Basketball
Lucas Oil field, both retractable roof and sliding window opening.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Like I've said before, the retractable roof part is more amusing to me than something that I'm thinking we have to have. However, if Vivek and Co. want to make it retractable, then that is on them. It will not require using extra money from the city, so it is of no worry to us. There is a salary cap for teams, so it's not going to impact the teams ability to compete with other teams for players. In fact, it may help in free agency. Why are we putting limitations on how nice an arena can be? Thinking about all the possibilities of how the arena can be built is fun. Arco was built bare bones minimum. Maloofs were going to do the same thing if they built one. Let your imagination go, now that there appears to be few limitations.
I don't think anyone is having limited vision on how nice the arena could be. An arena doesn't have to necessarily be huge, in order to be the best arena for basketball in the NBA. The mistake is minimizing our home crowd effect, with an arena that for one reason or another, doesn't maximize what we as die hard kings fans give our team.
Regardless of whatever they decide the capacity will be, with Vivek in charge, the odds of this arena not being as 'nice' as possible is next to zero
Regardless of whatever they decide the capacity will be, with Vivek in charge, the odds of this arena not being as 'nice' as possible is next to zero
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I'm not necessarily worried about interior capacity. I see it as a business move to maximize profits. Scarcity of tickets can increase demand. In addition, concession and parking are a big part of revenue. If, after you sell out a game, you can get people to gather outside of the arena to watch a game on large screens, you get both the parking required for those walk-up customers and you get money off the concessions that you sell outside of the arena. All without having to service them in the traditional sense. Makes perfect sense to me.
Kind of disagree here. An arena downtown will open up the possibility for people to take light rail to the game, not have to drive all the way out to natomas, ect ect.. For me it's going to make it a LOT easier. Right now my dad comes to get me and then we backtrack to the freeway and drive up about 20-25miles to natomas.
Now, I could get on the lightrail and meet my dad right in front of the arena. Not to mention, there will be all sorts of places to eat within walking distance.
I think we could easily fill a 17500 arena, and we should make it about 18500.
Now, I could get on the lightrail and meet my dad right in front of the arena. Not to mention, there will be all sorts of places to eat within walking distance.
I think we could easily fill a 17500 arena, and we should make it about 18500.
Depends on where you're coming from. Getting downtown is going to be more difficult - but not insurmountably so - for me.
I personally don't understand the quibbling over the number of seats. The ownership is going to do what they think is best all the way around to maximize profits, fan experience, etc.
I personally don't understand the quibbling over the number of seats. The ownership is going to do what they think is best all the way around to maximize profits, fan experience, etc.
I thought this was interesting. Goes along with the ideas we had about the using the sides of the arena as a media board.
"Sacramento Kings officials, who are teaming with the city to build the city-owned arena, say they are considering a brightly lit interactive arena facade. That may include message boards that recognize and welcome season ticket holders by name when they arrive in the plaza outside the building. The more often the fan shows up, the larger his or her name might appear on the welcome board, team president Chris Granger recently said."
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/12/5899307/bright-lights-big-city-is-sacramentos.html#storylink=cpy
"Sacramento Kings officials, who are teaming with the city to build the city-owned arena, say they are considering a brightly lit interactive arena facade. That may include message boards that recognize and welcome season ticket holders by name when they arrive in the plaza outside the building. The more often the fan shows up, the larger his or her name might appear on the welcome board, team president Chris Granger recently said."
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/12/5899307/bright-lights-big-city-is-sacramentos.html#storylink=cpy
From today's sacbee article:
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/22/5938614/kings-sketch-plans-for-rest-of.html
also, see these detailed plans for various levels of the facility, etc.:
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2013/11/22/18/52/OcUa7.So.4.pdf
Also an application with some info in it:
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2013/11/22/18/52/173Bza.So.4.pdf
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From today's sacbee article:
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/22/5938614/kings-sketch-plans-for-rest-of.html
also, see these detailed plans for various levels of the facility, etc.:
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2013/11/22/18/52/OcUa7.So.4.pdf
Looks like they moved the plaza opening from facing north-east to facing north-west. I think it works better for the event level. Gives them more room for the TV trucks and dock area. And they even have room down there for team parking at the other end under the practice facility. Probably have a better view out the open end. Lots of concourse space and all sorts of amenities. Looks like they even had a two story team store.
Now we wait for the architects to make the outside look awesome!