Sacramento accelerates arena deal timeline in continued effort to keep Kings
Mar 6, 2013, 5:16 AM | Updated: 9:36 am
The Sacramento City Council is stepping up their timeline to get an arena project started, in hopes of giving the NBA more time to consider keeping the Kings in California's capitol. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sacramento’s city manager says waiting until April 2 to get an arena plan before the city council is cutting it too close – so he’s moving up the timeline.
City manager John Shirey hopes to get the terms of a deal with investors Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov before the Sacramento City Council on March 26, a week earlier than he promised last week.
He wants to give the NBA as much time as he can to consider their competing offer versus the plan to move to Seattle.
“This is a tight schedule to get everything done,” Shirey told the city council last night. “I’m going to remain optimistic that we can get it done within the time we’re given.”
Shirey plans to begin negotiations with Mastrov and Burkle next week. The two are pitching a new arena in Sacramento’s downtown, using up to $250 million in public dollars.
City council member Allen Warren believes the three will come up with a deal that the council can approve. “We’re in the game,” Warren said. “We’ve made a very valiant effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento and to build a new sports and entertainment facility here.”
The NBA Board of Governor’s meets April 18 to consider the future of the Kings.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson hopes to pitch his city and this counter offer to the owners just before that.
