Forum Settlement Details

Details regarding the settlement of a legal dispute between the church that owns The Forum in Los Angeles and former facility operator SMG have surfaced.

Faithful Central Bible Church and SMG filed dueling suits earlier this year over fees and management issues but recently dropped their claims as the dispute approached a boiling point.

Terms of the settlement will see Faithful Central paying SMG $1.1 million, clearing the way for the church to refinance its $18 million mortgage on the 17,500-capacity arena, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Faithful Central purchased the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings for $22 million about a decade ago. It has had a hard time paying its annual $1.2 million mortgage in the time since, attempting to bring events to the aging venue when services were not being held.

The church recently signed a five-year facility management contract with VenuWorks, which returns former manager Gene Felling to The Forum.