Kings release first round of arena renderings

If seeing is believing, downtown Sacramento is one step closer to envisioning its future with the Kings unveiling the first set of renderings for its new arena today.

Designed by AECOM—the architectural firm behind 11 current NBA arenas, including the award-winning Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the FedEx Forum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies—the local entertainment and sports complex will feature a dramatic 50-by-150-foot entrance, balconies with mesh-like walls to create an indoor-outdoor feel and multiple farm-to-fork dining options. Construction materials will include glass, recycled aluminum and precast concrete made of sand from San Benito and Sierra limestone.

“When we bought the Sacramento Kings, we committed to the NBA and to the people of Sacramento that we wouldn’t just build a new arena, but that we’d build a world-class entertainment venue, an arena truly for the 21st century,” said team owner Vivek Ranadivé in a press release about the proposed LEED-gold-certified, cashless and ticketless facility. “Today is another major step forward in that effort.”

Construction on the new arena, which will be located at the site of Downtown Plaza, is expected to begin later this year with a targeted opening date of October 2016.