NBA representatives met with local officials to discuss the progress the City of Sacramento is making in its quest to construct a new entertainment and sports center at the Railyards.
The meeting was described as an “update” by one city staffer and was not a negotiation session. Councilman Rob Fong was not a part of these talks in Dallas, but said, “It has been a while since the NBA, the city and others had been in the same room. What transpired (Wednesday) was really just, ‘What is the city doing?’ ‘What are the broad out lines?’ and a little about timelines too.”
Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Chief of Staff, Kunal Merchant, Assistant City Manager John Dangberg along with the ICON/Taylor development team sat down with Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett at the Dallas Fort Worth Hyatt for most of Wednesday afternoon. It appears that the financial options and a pre-development plan were discussed; however, how the Kings would contribute was not a part of the meeting.
Merchant and Dangberg could not immediately be reached for comment, but a statement was issued by the pair.
“(Wednesday’s) preliminary working session was positive and constructive regarding the steps that need to be taken relating to the development and financing of a new entertainment and sports complex…All sides expressed a desire to continue to work collaboratively.”
The Maloof family was not at the meeting in Dallas and there is no time table that currently details when the Kings’ owners will join the negotiations. Fong said he expects the “Maloofs to be apart of the talks,” even though the city has been dealing directly with the NBA.
While most of the league owners haggle over the labor situation, it seems for now that Bennett, who heads the NBA Relocation Committee, will stay involved through out Sacramento’s arena effort.
Rob McAllister 