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Clippers Negotiating For New Arena
Inglewood, Calif.’s City Council approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the NBA’s Clippers to explore building a new 20,000-seat arena for the team.
Kelvin Kuo/AP – The Mayor Of Inglewood
James T. Butts Jr. talks during an NFL football news conference in Inglewood, Calif.
The proposed arena would be on a 20-acre plot across from the $2.6 billion stadium under construction for the NFL’s Chargers and Rams. The stadium is projected to be complete in 2020.
The Clippers have a lease at
The negotiating deal between the city and the team lasts 36 months and means the team will pay $1.5 million to cover the city’s expenses.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has wanted to start building a new arena since he bought the team for $2 billion in 2014 and he is willing to foot the bill for construction of the new arena, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Representatives from the Forum in Inglewood issued a statement June 15 in response to a competing arena potentially being erected in town.
“No one believes in Inglewood more than we do. We invested in the city when others would not. … Now, it appears the City of Inglewood has been doing a lot of backroom dealing. There may be a path forward, but not without a real public process that is done in the full light of day with the participation of Inglewood’s residents and many other stakeholders.”
Forum lawyers at Latham & Watkins also sent an email to the mayor and city council members accusing them of violating agreements and legal requirements, the Times reported.
“Given the limited amount of time and lack of notice, the Forum reserves all rights to object to the proposed Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and arena project,” the letter reportedly read.
The land in question currently has a variety of businesses on it.