INGLEWOOD (CNS) - Fans of the Los Angeles Clippers caught a first glimpse today of what the new NBA arena and entertainment center will look like in Inglewood.
The Clippers unveiled renderings and additional details of the team's privately-financed sports and entertainment center, which will be anchored by the basketball arena. The proposed project located on West Century Boulevard between South Prairie Avenue and South Yukon Avenue also will include the team's business and basketball offices, training facility, community and retail spaces.
``My goal is simple. I want the Clippers to have the best home in all of sports,'' Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer said. ``What that means to me is an unparalleled environment for players, for fans, for sponsors and for the community of Inglewood. Our goal is to build a facility that resets fans' expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home.''
The Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center will take the place of mostly vacant land under the flight path of Los Angeles International Airport when complete in the fall of 2024, following the expiration of the Clippers' lease at STAPLES Center.
Officials describe the proposed arena as ``a three-dimensional oval design with a unique exterior of diamond-shaped metal panels inspired by the concept of a basketball swishing through a net.'' Those panels are being designed to provide solar benefits for energy efficiency, as part of the facility's LEED GOLD-certified design.
Striking indoor/outdoor landscaped ``sky gardens'' also are a major feature, intended to highlight the temperate climate of Southern California and offer food and beverage service accessible from every concourse level, Clippers representatives said. The complex also envisions a multi-purpose plaza complete with concert stage, community basketball courts and space for the community to gather and watch a super-sized LED screen.
The project was designed by AECOM, with elements designed by Anderson Barker Architects, City Design Studio and Hood Studios. It is being developed by Wilson Meany.
Economists estimated it will create 10,000 construction jobs and more than 1,500 permanent jobs, with local hire components in place. When completed, the complex will generate an estimated $268 million in economic activity for Inglewood annually, and more than $190 million in new tax revenue from 2020- 2045.
The Clippers in 2019-20 are competing in the franchise's 50th season, after eight consecutive winning seasons and seven Playoffs appearances in the past eight seasons. Head Coach Doc Rivers, the winningest head coach in franchise history, has compiled the NBA's 5th-best record over the course of his time in Los Angeles.