Anschutz to Invest in New Arena

A Los Angeles-based company plans to invest $50 million to build a downtown arena in Kansas City, Mo., with hopes of bringing an NHL or NBA team there.

“I can assure you that there will be an anchor tenant,” Tim Leiweke, vice president of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, said Wednesday.

“We have had conversations specifically with those leagues’ franchises. I don’t think there’s a better time to get involved with a National Hockey League team than now.”

The company is controlled by Philip Anschutz, a Denver billionaire who owns the Kings and several teams in Major League Soccer, including the Galaxy. Anschutz also owns part of the Lakers and Staples Center.

The 18,500- to 20,000-seat arena will cost $225-250 million and will be called the Sprint Center, after the suburban Overland Park, Kan.-based telecommunications firm, which has agreed to purchase the naming rights.

The National Assn. of Basketball Coaches will also invest $10 million in the project, and move its headquarters from Overland Park to the facility and open a college hall of fame on-site.

Private contributions will cover nearly half of the arena’s cost. The rest will come from assorted tax credits and license fees, including a $1.50 per occupied room per day hotel fee and $4 a day fee on rental cars. Mayor Kay Barnes said the project won’t break ground unless voters approve those two new fees, which will appear on the August ballot.

A consortium of several Kansas City-based sports architecture firms has said they plan to bid for the design contract.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are turning off the tap on their free-beer promotion.

After being criticized by police and anti-drinking groups, the NHL team said it wouldn’t repeat an offer that allowed fans who paid a $100 deposit for a 2004-05 season ticket to get free beer during Saturday’s playoff game against Philadelphia.

“Our intention was not to offend or upset anyone,” Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett said. “It’s safe to assume that we won’t consider this type of promotion again.”

About 20 of the 21,000 fans took advantage of the free-beer offer during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Lightning and Flyers in Tampa, Wickett said.

Although the free beer didn’t result in any arrests or incidents, police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving representatives said the offer was irresponsible.

“They’re obviously using alcohol to get business,” Cheryl Price, a victim’s advocate for MADD, told the Tampa Tribune.

Wickett said the Lightning offers intoxicated fans a free cab ride home. He also said vendors are trained not to serve alcohol to fans who appear intoxicated.

The Lightning and Flyers split the first two games of the best-of-seven playoff series in Tampa. The series resumes tonight in Philadelphia.

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The Mighty Ducks signed forward Dustin Penner to a three-year entry-level contract.

Penner, 21, played at the University of Maine and had 11 goals and 23 points last season.