Decision Time for New King-Laker Arena

The match race between downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood Park to serve as the site for a new King-Laker arena is nearing the finish because of the teams’ commitment to begin play in the facility by September, 1999.

“The Kings and Lakers will play their preseason games in the new arena in 1999,” said John Semcken, who has been working on behalf of Kings’ owners Edward Roski and Philip Anschutz. “You can underline that, bold face it and put it in quotes.”

The Roski-Anschutz partnership, which has the agreement of Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss to move into a new arena, has narrowed its selection to downtown Los Angeles along 11th street adjacent to the Convention Center and Hollywood Park in Inglewood, a block from the Forum.

The $200-$240 million arena, which will include 20,000 seats, 150 luxury boxes and 2,500 club seats, will be surrounded by a retail center and will be constructed to lure entertainment projects of all kinds.

“This is not just going to be an arena; it is going to be one of those places you have to go to if you’re visiting Los Angeles,” Semcken said. “This area is the entertainment capital of the world and we want this building to be reflective of that.”

The Kings and Lakers will account for 88-user days in the new arena, but the plan is to find enough events to occupy the building 225-250 days a year. The new project, which will be privately financed, does not presently include any plans for personal seat licenses--the newest craze in sports construction that has fans paying for the life-long right to purchase season tickets.

A Los Angeles city official said Monday “the deal is now ours to lose,” but in the past few days Inglewood has sweetened its offer.

Insiders say the Los Angeles deal offers the most attractive option to Roski and Anschutz because the location offers tremendous retail-hotel development opportunities and can also broaden the Kings’ and Lakers’ fan base. But the wide-ranging political support it will require and the difficulties in winning entitlement could cause delays--delays that could sway Roski’s and Anschutz’s decision.

The Inglewood site, located at Hollywood Park across from the Casino, offers fewer entitlement concerns and less disruption for King and Laker fans accustomed to traveling to the Forum.

“We have made an attractive offer and can’t fathom why anyone would want to go anywhere else,” said Paul Eckles, Inglewood city manager. “We offer a clean site that’s ready to go with not as many surprises as there are likely to be at some of the potential sites being discussed in Los Angeles.” Steve Soboroff, senior advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who has been negotiating with Roski and Anschutz, said, “Yes, I appreciate the fact there is an easier way out, but I’m confident with all the additional steps they will stick with us because we’re talking about one of the great arena sites in the world.”