Even If You Aren't a Fan...

Dallas, Texas.  May 15, 2013.  The renewal of a downtown begins.

OK, that sounds melodramatic, but I think that it's true.  Once the NBA Board of Governors decided to deny the relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle, the floodgates of possibility opened up for the city of Sacramento.

Imagine the following:

Kings Fan:  You get off light rail near the new Kings Arena (to be named later).  You walk among a crowd of people, some heading to the arena, others to the shops and restaurants surrounding the new downtown.  It's a lovely fall afternoon, and you enter the arena to an ever-growing crowd of fans, waiting to get loud and cheer their team.  The Kings have been revitalized by the new ownership group, and hopes are high for the team to challenge, not only to make the playoffs, but to make a real run for a championship.

After a Kings win and after the ringing in your ears begins to subside, you leave the arena and try to decide which restaurant or lounge to hit for a snack and a drink.  The downtown is alive with activity, and as you look around you remember what it was like just a few short years ago, with a stagnant economy and little to do in this area.  Now it is a centerpiece, with new hotels, new restaurants and clubs, and a million things to do in the city.

Non Kings Fan:  You have to admit, there's a lot to do now.  When you ever had cause to visit downtown Sacramento, it was usually for business or just to pass through.  Now, there's a nightlife.  Plenty of choices for amusement, dining, and social events.  In fact, the new arena has hosted concerts and other events with regularity, and attending one recently was a blast.  The sound was great, the commute via light rail was easy, and the fun afterwards made for a memorable day.  No, you aren't a basketball fan.  But what a change has taken place in the city.  Maybe the Kings staying was a good thing after all.

Is this fantasy?  No.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that it is almost right on target.  The people fighting the new arena should be ashamed.  They aren't doing what is best for the city, and they certainly aren't in the majority.  Sacramento has a chance to become something more than a cow town.  It has a chance to be the capitol city of California.  With a renewed downtown area, the cornerstone is there.