Inglewood Concedes L.A. Has Edge for Arena

As Inglewood battles on all fronts to keep the Kings and Lakers in town with a new sports arena, the city’s top two administrators concede that Los Angeles seems to be the arena developers’ first choice.

“I think it is more likely that [the developers] will make a decision on the Los Angeles proposal before there is any attempt to flesh out a memorandum of understanding with Inglewood,” City Manager Paul Eckles said. Assistant City Manager Norman Cravens concurred.

The admission that Inglewood is falling behind in the effort comes as the Los Angeles City Council prepares to vote later this month on a formal proposal from the owners of the Kings hockey team, who propose to build the arena. Lakers owner Jerry Buss has signed an agreement to join the Kings in a new arena for 25 years.

No such formal document was ever presented to Inglewood even though the city requested one, said Eckles, Inglewood’s chief negotiator for the arena. The Inglewood City Council has nothing to vote on.

John Semcken, a negotiator for the Kings, said that although talks continue with both cities, Los Angeles is especially attractive because it offers developers the opportunity to build an entire sports- and entertainment-related project, possibly including a hotel, shops and restaurants.

“The opportunity is better” in Los Angeles, Semcken said Wednesday, noting that the hotel would be used by more people attending conventions and conferences. “I don’t think it is a viable business opportunity in Inglewood.”

In the developers’ formal proposal, Los Angeles is being asked to provide $60.5 million in bond proceeds to acquire and clear land at and next to the Convention Center for the privately financed arena. It would cost Los Angeles $5 million to $7 million a year for 25 years to pay off the bonds.

Inglewood received an informal proposal from the developers in June, in which the city would provide already cleared land and give developers $30 million to build the facility that would house the Kings, who currently play at the Forum in Inglewood.

Inglewood City Council members say they still consider themselves players in the negotiations.

“I think we’re first in the running because we’ve been business-friendly for years to these sports and entertainment venues,” Councilman Garland Hardeman said. He contends that Los Angeles would not be able to put its deal together in time for the 1999 season, as arena developers require.

Inglewood recently offered to sweeten the deal by adding $5 million to that $30 million pot of cash, Cravens said.

But the Inglewood land deal also carries a deadline. For $2 million a year, Inglewood was planning to lease a chunk of vacant land owned by Hollywood Park for the new 20,000-seat arena and parking lot. Hollywood Park also wants a decision by Oct. 15 because it has other development proposals to consider, said Rick Baedeker, vice president of marketing and public relations for the facility. The Los Angeles council was originally supposed to vote on the proposal by Oct. 15, but now that vote is expected to take place later in the month.

“We have other options, and we are going to pursue them,” Baedeker said. He noted that Hollywood Park officials are meeting with arena developers and the Inglewood city manager Oct. 15. “Something will happen one way or another,” Baedeker said. “We’ll know if we have a future with the Kings and the Lakers or not.”