Updated: 6:03 pm
The City of Sacramento checked off a major box in its fight to keep the Kings today. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced via Twitter that an agreement has been reached with the Ron Burkle/Mark Mastrov/Vivek Ranadivé group to build a new downtown arena.
“It’s a great day in Sacramento!!!!!,” Johnson said, beginning a string of tweets. “I’m pleased to announce an agreement w/ Burkle-Mastrov-(Ranadivé) group on a public-private partnership to build a new ESC at (Downtown) Plaza Mall. Consistent (with) our core tenets, the deal avoids new taxes, protects the City on the Kings loan, and ensures no net impact to the general fund”
According to Johnson’s tweets, the new ownership group is ready to invest up to a billion dollars in the region in the transaction, which includes a deal to purchase the Kings, build a new entertainment and sports center and lock into a new 35-year agreement to keep the team in Sacramento.
According to multiple reports, the new deal is for an estimated $448 million and includes a private investment by the Burkle/Mastrov/Ranadivé group of $190 million for the arena in the Downtown Plaza. The City of Sacramento is putting up an estimated $258 million by leasing its downtown parking assets to a private operator and selling city owned land parcels as well as an arena surcharge for users.
The term sheet is scheduled to go before city council on Tuesday, Mar. 26 for a vote. If passed, the term sheet will become part of Johnson’s pitch to the NBA relocation/finance committee in New York on Apr. 3.
City Manager John Shirey is scheduled to meet with members of the media at City Hall this evening to further discuss the term sheet, which is expected to go live for the public within the next hour. We will have more as the story develops.
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