Cowbell Kingdom Podcast Ep 13 – Rob McAllister of NewsTalk 1530 KFBK

After a one-week reprieve, we’re back!

Think Big Sacramento announced some new developments this week on the on-going arena project.  KFBK’s Rob McAllister joins us on the Cowbell Kingdom podcast to share his thoughts on the entertainment-and-sports complex committee’s latest findings.

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Highlights

• Ideas for publicly financing the arena are beginning to take shape.  But what about private funding?  According to McAllister, involving private entities like an AEG and also the Kings will mainly serve the purpose of showing creditors the project is worthy of a loan.  “There isn’t going to be, let’s say, a multi-millionaire (or) billionaire that’s willing to throw $50 to 100 million on an arena.  That’s really not feasible and that really does not make any sense for anyone to do that.”
• Fall-out from the lockout? “I don’t think it’s going to help in the matter of public opinion if the team is locked out in November and you’re trying to push for an arena.  People are going to be upset if they can’t watch the Kings.  On the other end, I think it also slows up the Anaheim deal where they can’t just move in the middle of a lockout.”  He adds that the lockout doesn’t really help or hurt the process.
• Yesterday’s Public Synergies Report revealed some unorthodox means of funding, including selling parcels of city-owned land to raise anywhere from $30 to 60 million dollars for the project.  McAllister believes the land the city could bargain would be from Natomas.