How far along are plans to create suitable playing venues for the NBA Kings and WNBA Monarchs? Will Cal Expo be refurbished, demolished or none of the preceeding?
On July 31st developers and Cal Expo officials huddled to talk but did not finalize anything. There was mixed news from the confab.
First of all the economy throws a damper on everything and funding is a major drawback.
The consensus among the builders is that this is a good idea, but money's tight right now. Estimates for costs range up to $2,000,000,000.
The financial environment is one hurdle; the physical environment also comes into play. Land use issues are always a point of discussion. If any site other than the fairgrounds is considered, where will it be and, at the very least, will the neighbors allow the fair, the sports teams and all that comes with them into the neighborhood.
Clean-up may be an issue. Environmental remediation has stalled other projects in the region. Accessibility also comes into play. RT coaches serve CalExpo but the light rail station is a distance away. Any new venue(s) should be public transit friendly. The need to drive should be minimized.
Cal Expo chief Norb Bartosik says nothing is settled; the scheme is a “concept at this point, not a project."
Here's a detailed run down of the game plan.
