Downtown not the only possible site for an arena
By Mary Lynne Vellinga and Terri Hardy -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 7:31 pm PDT Thursday, August 3, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports...15104899c.html
The proposed site for the new downtown arena at the old railroad yard, north of downtown. The plan calls for the arena to be built where the mounds of asbestos-contaminated soil are currently located. Sacramento Bee / Bryan Patrick
If plans to build a new Kings arena in the downtown railyard run into problems, city and county leaders have agreed to look elsewhere, including North Natomas.
Revitalization of the dormant railyard is one of the key selling points proponents plan to use when asking voters to adopt a new quarter-cent sales tax to pay for the arena.
They paint a picture in which people will ride Amtrak or light rail trains to basketball games and concerts, catching a bite to eat or a drink while they're downtown.
On Thursday, leaders of the arena effort downplayed the idea that it would go anywhere else. But they acknowledged that the railyard presents a number of potential challenges, including: delays in an ownership transfer from the Union Pacific railroad, toxic contamination, and lack of streets, sewers and other infrastructure.
"The railyard site is, by far, the hardest place to negotiate a deal," said Sacramento Vice Mayor Rob Fong.
The information about alternative sites is contained in a list of deal points negotiated over the past few days between representatives of Sacramento city and county and the Maloofs, owners of the Kings.
One alternative would be land around Arco Arena that is owned by the city and the Maloofs. Another could be Cal Expo.
"It is our hope and expectation we won't have to use those alternatives, but we need to have them," said Paul Hahn, the county's director of economic development.