LA Clippers new Inglewood arena receives final approval from City of Inglewood
The LA Clippers are one step closer to finally getting their own arena. The team finally received final approval from the City of Inglewood to create their new Inglewood arena.
The Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center (IBEC) received final approval today from the Inglewood City Council. The campus will include an 18,000 seat arena, a practice facility, and offices for the LA Clippers staff. For more information, fans can visit here. Here are some details from the Clippers' official press release:
"The City Council’s unanimous approval of the Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) provides the terms for Murphy’s Bowl, the entity developing IBEC, to purchase the publicly-owned property within the arena site for a total purchase price of $66.25 million. The total purchase price will be shared among the City, the FAA, Los Angeles World Airports and other local entities, including the Inglewood Unified School District. The DDA contains long-term commitments from Murphy’s Bowl, following acquisition of the site, to develop and operate the arena and related facilities.
'Today is a new chapter for the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, as we move from the land use entitlement process and look toward construction,” said Gillian Zucker, Clippers President of Business Operations. “Every part of IBEC is being designed with purpose – with an unapologetic intensity that will define the experience together for players, musical talent and fans alike. This arena will prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is no replacement for live basketball and entertainment.'
The privately-financed IBEC project will include a world-class facility that is uniquely designed to prioritize fan comfort and ease, player experience, home court advantage and community. IBEC will reimagine live entertainment, creating a new standard for live experiences all on its own. The one-of-a-kind facility will be set within an open, indoor-outdoor atmosphere that showcases what the world loves best about Southern California. The campus in Inglewood will serve as a hub that brings the Clippers organization together, with a new team practice facility and corporate offices. The project, expected to break ground in summer of 2021, will open for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season."
The Clippers expect that their new arena will create more than 7,000 full and part-time construction jobs, and up to 1,500 additional jobs when the campus opens. They also estimate it'll generate an estimated $260 million in annual economic activity for Inglewood.
While the Clippers have grandiose plans to make themselves a premier franchise in sports, first things first, win a championship.
