Group Won't Support Sacramento Kings Arena Unless Demands Met
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A group has declared it will only support the construction of a new Sacramento Kings arena if the team's owners agree to their demands.
A coalition of labor, environmental and low-income housing advocates has a list of 25 terms they want agreed to before the city hands over a $255 million public subsidy.
Among the demands are giving hiring preference to Sacramento city residents and mitigating traffic impacts. There are also some unusual requirements, such as building public bathrooms that are open 24 hours a day, and donating $600,000 to local underserved arts groups.
"This isn't about tipping this project over," said Tammy Dramer. "This is about fair, equitable use of our public dollars and fair, equitable benefits from this project."
Supporters say this type of agreement has been reached when building other projects such as the Staples Center and San Diego's Ballpark Village.
The coalition says it could sue to stop the arena if their terms are not met.