Editorial: At last, a reason for optimism about new arena

Nobody is selling tickets yet, but there is hope that Sacramento is on its way to solving its arena dilemma.

In November 2006, Sacramento County voters rejected a proposal to pay for a new arena with a quarter-cent sales tax increase. Not long after, National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern came to town, vowing that he would do his best to figure out a way to build a new arena for the Sacramento Kings.

Stern mentioned Cal Expo as a possible site. At the time, the idea seemed novel but remote. Now, almost 18 months later, Stern's efforts seem to be paying off.

On May 9, Cal Expo and the NBA announced that they are moving ahead on a plan to jointly develop an arena at the fairgrounds site. It's still a long way from that agreement to the construction of the arena, but there is reason to be optimistic – largely because a number of the flaws that doomed previous efforts are absent from this one.

First, the owners of the Kings, the Maloof family, seem to be on board this time around. The Maloofs' lack of engagement in the 2006 ballot measure campaign proved to be a fatal weakness. Stern says that the Maloofs are behind the current effort, which is a welcome change.

Second, Cal Expo's involvement means that the key landowner wants the proposal to succeed. That, too, is a welcome change. A proposal to finance an arena with proceeds from expedited development in Natomas fell apart when key landowners balked. Another plan came undone when owners of the Downtown Plaza turned thumbs down on a proposal to build an arena on part of the mall site. Owners of the downtown railyard supported the ballot measure financially, but never regarded an arena as a key part of their development.

Third, while financing specifics are yet to be worked out, it is at least possible to envision the outlines of a successful plan for a Cal Expo arena. The general idea is to attract a developer who would take some of the land at Cal Expo, revitalize the fairgrounds, build an arena and add enough commercial or residential development to pay for it all.

Fourth, the driving force behind the idea are two smart, experienced operators: Stern and former Gov. Pete Wilson. Stern's presence is evidence that the NBA values the loyalty that Kings fans have showed over the years and wants to keep a team in Sacramento. Wilson's participation lends an element of hard-edged realism that was missing from previous efforts.

And fifth, the idea would deliver more than just a new arena. Cal Expo is in serious need of renovation and rethinking. An arena as the centerpiece of that renovation makes sense for the city and the region in ways that no previous proposal did.

Whether such an ambitious scheme can be put together in a tough economic environment remains to be seen. And where money might come from for needed infrastructure improvements, such as rebuilt ramps on the Capital City Freeway and the extension of a light rail spur to serve both Cal Expo and the Arden Fair mall retail corridor, is anybody's guess. But there are enough positives about the agreement and the process that produced it to warrant optimism. Given the air of gloom that has hung over the whole question for more than a year, that's progress.