Sacto Swap Rejected

A proposal to construct a new venue for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and move the state fair to the site of the team’s current home at the Arco Arena was roundly rejected by Cal Expo officials Sept. 24.

The decision leaves the Kings’ future in Sactown unclear as it’s been widely reported that both the team and the NBA have been unhappy with the state of the aging arena for years.

The plan, presented by developer Gerry Kamilos, came out ahead of several others earlier this year after an arena task force issued a request for proposals that did not place a financial burden on taxpayers in the region. The county has a history of shooting down proposals to raise sales taxes to pay for a new facility.

But while Kamilos’ plan would use the money from the sale and redevelopment of the current Expo site to finance both new fairgrounds and a new arena, Expo officials found the proposed location too small and too hidden for the fair.

“It’s the wrong site,” Expo GM Norb Bartosick told the Sacramento Bee. “We’ve said that time and time again.”

Kamilos’ team reportedly still has a few weeks left to negotiate another option with the city.

A representative for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson told the paper that while the decision is a “significant setback,” the deal isn’t dead just yet.

The Kings had supported Kamilos’ plan and team co-owner Joe Maloof said in a statement following the decision that all parties must “continue to work hard to find a solution. We look forward to hearing what are the next steps and options.”