Ailene Voisin Making Sense!

[ICMTM]

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1615603.html

But Joe and Gavin, this is on them. They can end the angst simply by standing and shouting, by slamming the door, by reassuring a community that has hugged its professional franchise for the better part of three decades.

The Kings. Sacramento.

The Kings belong to Sacramento.

Say it out loud, again and again. The best owners in professional sports don't savor the good times and then split when the team hits its downward cycle and the economy slumps, not even under cover of needing an arena to replace the outdated, barely functioning Arco Arena.

Yes, the region desperately needs a facility.

Yes, the wait has been interminable.

Yes, mistakes have been made – by politicians who failed to lead, by the league for waiting too long to intervene, and by the Maloofs for relying on the wrong people within their organization and contributing to the toxic mix with their extended absences.

And, yes, the team stinks, but it won't always stink.

[ICMTM]

It's such bad timing to talk about an arena now, but having worked and been at Arco as a fan I must say it's a dump! The problem is the arena and its construction has been a part of revitalizing something else in the city. The arena + the railyard. The arena + Cal Expo. The arena + downtown K St. It seems to me the arena talk has always been used to start up another unrelated project. It's time to start talking about putting the arena right next to the existing one! Traffic isn't an issue. You have two interstates and several 3 and 4 lane roads around it. Land isn't an issue. There is already infastructure. There are a crap load of chain restaurants near the current arena that will probably die if the arena is moved. If Cal Expo were really feasible it wouldn't take this long to come up with the plan. Of course the levees would have to be built 1st, but that should be done anyway. You currently can't build in North Natomas until the levees are rebuilt.

Besides I don't see what is wrong with making that area of the city a destination? I don't understand why there can't be venues around the existing or new arena? It's more convenient for people passing through on I-5. It's on the West side of town (meaning the Bay Area). You just put like 60-70,000 new residence within 5 miles of Arco. Why not make that the destination? Why hold onto Cal Expo when nobody is going there (because if people were frequenting Cal Expo it wouldn't be in a bind financially). I think not only can it be the cheapest place for an arena, but I think if the Maloofs want to control what goes on around the arena its an opportunity for them to pony up some dough and build it.

[cdt3]

Yes it is very appropriate and correct. Except for Schwartzenegger who stabbed them in the back with taking state workers 10% pay since Sac has a lot of state workers who are Kings fans, this is all on track. I agree with this so much that I work in Oakland right now but I am saving up to buy a house in the next 2 years and the tipping point for choosing my house will be the Kings. If they move out of Sac I will not support them but I will not move to Sac. Sac has the same population of the county San Antonio is in so it is not like they cannot get support, since SA has a much cheaper cost of living their ticket prices are a little lower but the Arena is always filled. The Kings do need a downtown arena so it builds up downtown which creates business, which creates taxes which creates schools and roads and libraries. The Padres moved their baseball stadium down town and it just improved everything downtown. Like the Rivercats stadium which would be MLB level nice where it is downtown, the Kings need a top flight downtown arena since it would really continue the downtown development. I have just been amazed by the the progress Sacramento has made since the Maloofs came to town. We have the right guy in KJ who will get the Arena deal worked out. An investment in the Maloofs is an investment in Sacramento.

[ICMTM]

Actually Downtown has improved because people have been going downtown to spend money. I'll correct myself here. MIDTOWN has improved beccause people have been going there to spend money. With events like 2nd Saturdays and all kinds of shops, restaurants, and nightlife midtown is a happening place. It has nothing to do with the Kings, and Midtown will do fine without the Kings.

Downtown sucks (from 3rd to 16th St). K Street is horrible. The mall is failing, nobody stays there after 5pm. Even if the Kings are built in the railyard (which needs to happen, but nobody will pay to clean up UP's mess) downtown designed for people to work, then leave!

Sacramento does not have a desitnation that people will travel to see. San Antonio has the Alamo. People will pay to see it that don't live there. If we had such a place then I think the arena would pay for itself. The Spurs arena was built on a tourism tax much like the concept of raising our own sales tax. The people in San Antonio just taxed people who didn't live here.

Having a joint venture with Sacramento State would be great, but then Sacramento State would have to create a decent program for it to be a consideration.

[Wolfay]

State workers are spoiled brats. There are thousands of workers who make over a 100K a year, with outrageous benefits. On the news, they interviewed one lady who complained that she couldn't afford to send her children to PRIVATE school anymore. Cry me a freakin' river lady. Anyway...

A new arena does need to be built. Not just for the Kings, but for any show in Sacramento. Truth is that Arco was obsolete the day it was built. It's literally the (cheap) trailer of Arenas. It's falling apart, the acoustics are HORRIBLE, the capacity is low, and the whole place just feels cheap and rundown. I don't know how anyone can say that the place is adequate and serves its purpose just fine. IT DOESN'T! I agree the deals put forth by the Maloofs are ridiculous, but it doesn't change the fact that something needs to be done somehow, someway. It's just not about the Kings, it's about the city as well.

[cdt3]

Downtown sucks at night which is why they should build the arena it keeps the trouble makers out of the area because of concerts and people constantly around always around. It is that way downtown in the SF and even in Oakland. An arena near the Rivercats area would be great, but it should be near the light rail on K they would clean it up if it affected business. Sacramento is the capitol and gets as many vistors as the Alamo. We need to use the river more effectively like the Rdid with their stadium. The tourism tax is a good idea it would work the same here. I visit Sacramento and know people here in Oakland who live here but visit Sac sometimes. San Antonio is a a big tourist place not just because their beaches suck or the Alamo but they have also revitalized downtown. We need to continue our revitalization there and it will pay off. They will make downtown more family friendly when they put the arena in.

[cdt3]

Downtown sucks at night which is why they should build the arena it keeps the trouble makers out of the area because of concerts and people constantly around always around. It is that way downtown in the SF and even in Oakland. An arena near the Rivercats area would be great, but it should be near the light rail on K they would clean it up if it affected business. Sacramento is the capitol and gets as many vistors as the Alamo. We need to use the river more effectively like the Rdid with their stadium. The tourism tax is a good idea it would work the same here. I visit Sacramento and know people here in Oakland who live here but visit Sac sometimes. San Antonio is a a big tourist place not just because their beaches suck or the Alamo but they have also revitalized downtown. We need to continue our revitalization there and it will pay off. They will make downtown more family friendly when they put the arena in.

[Nicky Nix Nook]

I think the rail yard would make for one of the coolest arenas in the NBA.

And you know that if the Maloof's are gonna build it, it's gonna be SICK. Just look at the Palms. They're too high maintenance to have anything but state of the art facilities.

[ICMTM]

The problem has been (and still is) nobody wants to pay to put the arena in these places. I can argue that the SF/Oakland statiums are not in their city centers or their "downtown" areas. The stick, Monsters Inc, Monster cable, whatever they are calling it now is like in Daly City/SF and the Coluseim is near the Oakland airport. AT&T park is on the embarcadero. Putting the Arena on 7th & K street is no good. The railyard is perfect, but it costs too much. I think where it is happens to be better than Cal Expo. I just seems like the city wants the arena in a "prime location," but it hasn't worked. The city and the Kings IMO tried to use the arena for the purpose of other interests (ie cleaning up J st, cleaning up the railyard, saving Cal Expo). I think if we concentrate on the arena 1st and get that built on unused land the city owns it would be cheaper and gain support.

2nd an arena is a destination in itself. I don't understand why it has to be comingled with other interests. The Kings (with a decent product) can sell that arena out with ease. Any concert that has the right performer would do the same thing. Therefore the arena will do well by itself anywhere. When Arco was built nothing else was there and it still worked. Furthermore we aren't Oakland or San Francisco. Once we realize that we have to do things a little different more creative ideas would come to the table.

But lets be real. The real reason we don't have an arena is the Maloofs want ALL the proceeds from the arena. Once either the Maloofs find their sponsors, or the enter into profit sharing with the city a new arena will be built. The problem is not funding. The problem is where the money earned is going.

[pillwenney]

I was always under the impression that we want it in a prime location not because we're afraid of how well the arena will do. I think we all agree that the area would in fact do fine. I think the idea is to use the arena to build up the area around it. At least that was my interpretation about it. The idea is to revitalize the city.

But yeah, the real problem is the discrepancy between who's going to be paying and who's getting the proceeds. Personally I agree that what the Maloofs have tried so far is BS, but I'm willing to vote in favor of it anyway due to my paranoia about losing the team.

[ICMTM]

I wonder if we can trade the Kings franchise for the Hornets?

The city doesn't need revitalizing. It needs proper zoning!

Yes that is the issue Mitch (the city is looking to revitalize with the arena project). If we pay to clean up the railyard then other venues will go there. If we revitalize Cal Expo...you get the point. My point is the city needs to stop looking at the arena issue as a one project will fix all situation and build the arena based on what attractions would be best suited around an arena. Even if the railyard was the place of the arena nothing is there right now.

K St failed because the city FAILED putting that mall there. There are enough shops throughout downtown that if the city wanted a mall it didn't need to recreate Arden Fair the outdoor version and stick it downtown. You put a Joe Sun and a Woolworths down there with a La Bou and a RIght Aid, too. Then put a Hard Rock Cafe down there and wonder where the people are???

Who wants to go there? Then you build the light rail right there. Then they want to say "hey lets stick an arena in this mess to clean it up." That's not fixing the problem! If you want shopping then you find the best shops downtown (and please not the same ones that are in Arden Faire) and put them on the same block. Fix up the place and make it a can't miss opportunity. Then you have a few blocks of specialty shops that is UNIQUE and one of a kind. You have quality merchants, nice scenery, nice restaurants, and bam K street is fixed! No arena needed. Make it quality, and people will come. Then after the businesses get on their feet start charging that premium rent!

Cal Expo...

http://www.calexpo.com/PDFs/grounds%20map_fnl.pdf

Just say no! I just think it's better where it is than Cal Expo. Honestly I think it's going to end up in West Sacramento somewhere near Raley field. The Yolo co. side of the river will be developed around it.

[pillwenney]

You're right about Cal Expo, but I'd still rather have a new arena there then the old one where it is now. Location is certainly important, but just getting the damn thing is more important.

[ICMTM]

I hope they demolish the old one.