Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed Downtown Counterpart

by Ziller on Sep 26, 2007 7:30 AM PDT in Arena

The Bee's Terri Hardy has a predictably in-depth look into the history of arena discussions with Cal Expo. Not a ton of new information -- that will come over the next two days as the City Council and the Cal Expo governing board hear presentations from the NBA. But what new info there is holds quite a bit of importance.

A 2004 feasibility study commissioned by Mayor Heather Fargo looked at eight possible locations for a new arena. Cal Expo was among them. That study said a downtown arena would cost nearly $600 million. A new arena at Cal Expo? $329 million. Construction costs have of course gone up since, but that's still a chunk cheaper than the downtown option.

So why did the city and county press on with downtown as Target #1?

"The Cal Expo site currently has the most limited transit services of the study alternatives, and limited regional access due to congestion on Business 80," the study found.

Yeah. That.

But John Moag, the NBA's rep, says the league will be "a valuable ally" in getting traffic fixes in place. How? Who knows.

There is a little more detail into the NBA's plan. Hardy writes bonds issued by a new joint powers authority allowed under recently passed SB 282 will make up a large part of the funding, but Moag also has a big-time commercial developer in the pipeline to help fund Cal Expo improvements and an arena in exchange for development rights on part of the vacant land. (This would help solve the whole 'no restaurants in walking distance' thing.)

Next steps: the City Council will be briefed by Moag Thursday night, and the Cal Expo board will vote to open negotiations Friday morning.

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Re: Cal Expo Arena

Monorail! Monorail!!

From a personal aspect, I rank Cal Expo fourth behind downtown, North Natomas, and SunSplash in Roseville (sorry, I live up this way). But the bottom line is I don't really care where it's built. I just want it done and I want it done here.

I was born here in '59 (1959, smart alecks!). I have watched the Solons at Hughes Stadium, the Steelheads before they migrated west, the Surge of the World League of American Football and the Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League (both played at Sac. State), World Team Tennis in Gold River, Citrus Heights and Roseville, the River Cats, the Monarchs, boxing, professional bull riding, tractor pulls, the freakin' California Marathon, Eppie's Great Race and Big Time Wrestling when it was broadcast at the Channel 40 studios in South Sac (hurry up - Hank Renner is almost done with his "Tailor Topper" ad and Pat Patterson fights Kinji Shibuya next!).

Are you getting the vision of the Sacramento sporting landscape without the Kings? It's called "The Bay Area is only 90 miles away." Yuck!

So I'll take the traffic of Cal Expo over the traffic of the bay area. I'll take the middle fingers of Sacramento drivers over the semi-automatic weapons of Oakland drivers. I'll take the lush weed spotted asphalt of Cal Expo over the bottle laden lot at the Coliseum. I'll take my Kings right here in Sacramento, thank you very much. And I deserve a hot juicy burger, and I deserve it now!

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 26, 2007 10:07 AM PDT 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena

Great post. Eppie's Great Race would be the biggest athletic event of the year if the Kings move. How bleak. (No offense to Eppie's.)

by Ziller on Sep 26, 2007 1:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed..

"But John Moag, the NBA's rep, says the league will be "a valuable ally" in getting traffic fixes in place. How? Who knows."

What the hell does this mean? How could the NBA be a "valuable ally" in alleviating traffic? Are they going to have retired players directing traffic on surface streets. Perhaps former coaches helping ferry people via hot air ballons. I'm interested in hearing how..

Damn you Robert Horry!!!

by chupacabra on Sep 26, 2007 2:38 PM PDT 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed..

Maybe this will be the kick-in-the-ass that the city and state need to finally fix Business 80 through that area. It's a freakin' joke. That span of the freeway was built for traffic patterns of 40 years ago. (Coming west to east is going to be the biggest nightmare - although both sides will suck horribly.) I can't wait to see the bloodbath that follows when the different stakeholders start discussing who is going to pay for infrastructure improvements.

by Kusian on Sep 26, 2007 3:53 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed..

Well it should be done, that way the other 300 non kings' days traffic will be much nicer than its current form.

by moproblemz on Sep 26, 2007 4:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed..

Kusian,

I always seem to agree with you. The traffic there is already bad. I don't know how the are going to fix bus 80? Build another bridge?

At least Arco has freeways surrounding it. You can drive to the game and not even have to wait in traffic to get into the parking lot.

I keep asking why Arco can't be upgraded to make the Kings happy. I like Arco. The seats are good and close.

by KingsFan on Sep 26, 2007 5:36 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper Than Failed..

I often* find it unwise to doubt Mr. Stern. If he says he's gonna alleviate traffic, cars will stop being driven in that area.

*except about referee transparency and that he doesn't/couldn't rig anything he wants to rig. (Lottery, playoff matchups for better tv ratings, cancellation of sitcoms he doesn't like.)

Proud to be TZ's hero. http://crescendaofmediocrity.blogspot.com

by MILKSHAKE on Sep 26, 2007 8:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re: Cal Expo Arena Much Cheaper

I often* find it unwise to doubt Mr. Stern. If he says he's gonna alleviate traffic, cars will stop being driven in that area.

*except about referee transparency and that he doesn't/couldn't rig anything he wants to rig. (Lottery, playoff matchups for better tv ratings, cancellation of sitcoms he doesn't like.)

Proud to be TZ's hero. http://crescendaofmediocrity.blogspot.com

by MILKSHAKE on Sep 26, 2007 8:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

Traffic Idea

How about a flotilla of pontoons on the American River, running between Cal Expo and the railyard? We can all eat downtown, cruise on up the river, catch the game and float back down. Everybody wins!

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 26, 2007 4:25 PM PDT 0 recs