In Sacramento, an urban revival kicked off by a new arena offers a convincing case In the run-up to the Super Bowl, Minneapolis?s new billion-dollar stadium, a glass-fronted warship docked in a developing part of downtown, will be the subject of broadcast profiles and b-roll. But move the cameras a few blocks in any direction, and viewers would see why boosters believe the stadium?s benefits go well beyond the big game.
U.S. Bank Stadium is just one feature of the city?s ongoing Big Build initiative, a public-private project bringing $2 billion in investment to a 120-square-block area called East Town. By anchoring the stadium downtown as opposed to in a sea of suburban parking lots, the pitch goes, it?s not just another sports arena: It?s a catalyst for infill, affordable housing, riverfront development, and new transit hubs. It?s the newest twist on the debate over sports stadiums and economic development. Can a new stadium not just generate development, but actually be a good deal for the city" The best case study may be on the West Coast. In Sacramento, where the NBA?s Kings and their tech-savvy owner Vivek Ranadivé just constructed the league?s most advanced arena, the solar-powered Golden 1 Center, new economic-impact reports suggest the stadium has been a boon to California?s capital.
Ever since breaking ground in 2014, the Kings?s new home and the world?s first LEED-Platinum indoor sports stadium has attracted development, dollars, and economic activi...