I caught some of the Grant show on Thursday. You better get ready for KHTK and the Kings to push the remodel hard. Grant said fans should great ready to hear more about a remodel in the fall. He proclaimed the hopes and prospects for any new arena for the Kings as dead and over for “next 10 years.” He then premised the remodel discussion with his ground rules of “what if” “don’t think about how it will be paid for or who is paying.” Instead, just ask yourself if a remodel could keep the Kings here for another 10 years, and the remodel made the place look completely different inside, would you be in favor of that? 10 years later, maybe they’ll get a new arena done.
Whether it will happen, who pays, how they pay, what funding a remodel would do the prospect of the city or team funding a new arena in the future. That’s not important.
Grant’s also selling that Arco can be renovated in stages so the team can keep playing there during a remodel. He’s comparing the proposed Sacramento remodel to Madison Square Garden’s projects, which has a huge footprint and it costing a lot more because the teams are going to keep playing inside while the events continue. He didn’t acknowledge that the Warriors remodel, which is the best comparison, required the Warriors to play a full season in San Jose.
In the fall, I would expect more details on what the project might look like and some drawings. Basically, it’s the Maloofs turn to do Cal Expo style drawings. By December 2012, I would expect to have a sticker price.
In early 2013, the Maloofs are going to offer to fund a portion if the city will pick up the rest. The Maloofs don’t have to worry about coming up with that money, because the number will be designed solely to ensure the city says no. I’m guessing 50/50.
Up until this point, KHTK and the Maloofs will be on the same page for different reasons. The Maloofs are working on the door the league is trying to put up to keep the team here. The folks at KHTK just want to avoid looking for new work.
When the city rejects the Maloofs offer, they will spin it as: it’s a 15 year problem, they city isn’t putting anything new on the table, they are trying to attract other sports like baseball, and the rejected our offer to spilt a remodel 50/50. They are the problem.
It’s crap. But it’s coming. Grant was laying the ground work in a sleazy way last week.
The really impressive thing will be the maneuvering that Grant will need to perform. The place couldn’t be remodeled, the foot print is too small, to remodel it the right way it would cost an outrageous amount, many acts won’t come because of the poor acoustics of the roof and small back stage area, all the guts in the building are too small and old. This isn’t just about the Kings. It’s about attracting bigger non-sport acts, it’s something the city will own, it a project will spur economic development … all that ground work he laid for 7 years becomes baggage. Soon it’s going to be, if you want to keep the team and shows you have … “the city needs to put ___ on the table or don’t’ come crying to me when the team leaves and the Maloofs tear down Arco.”
The upside to the Maloofs and Grant not being very bright is you can see where they are going.
