Just days after the Los Angeles Clippers won the NBA offseason by adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the team took another bold step toward increasing its stature in the city by today unveiling renderings and details of the team’s privately-financed sports and entertainment center in Inglewood.

In addition to the arena, the proposed project located on West Century Boulevard between South Prairie Avenue and South Yukon Avenue will include the team’s business and basketball offices, training facility, and retail spaces.

“My goal is simple. I want the Clippers to have the best home in all of sports,” said Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer. “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 re-sets fans’ expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home.”    

The Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center will revitalize mostly vacant land under the flight path of Los Angeles International Airport into a vibrant campus. The project is targeted for completion by fall of 2024, following the expiration of the Clippers’ lease at STAPLES Center.

The proposed arena will have 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. In addition to attractive aesthetics, the panels have been designed to provide solar benefit for maximum energy efficiency, as part of the facility’s LEED GOLD-certified design.

“We are excited to welcome the nation’s most philanthropic sports team to Inglewood,” said Mayor James T. Butts. “Over the past three years, the Ballmers and the Clippers have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to improving communities like Inglewood. The Clippers’ presence in our city will create a sustainable revenue source and boost civic pride, revitalizing our community for years to come.”

Of course, the elephant in the room is the inevitable litigation struggle involving a classic nearby arena that must be resolved before the project moves forward.  The Forum's ownership group, which also owns Madison Square Garden and has ties to Knicks' owner James Dolan, opposes the project and is gearing up for a court battle to halt it entirely.

Nevertheless, the stadium is expected to create an estimated 10,000 construction jobs and more than 1,500 permanent jobs, with local hire components in place to fill 30 percent of available construction jobs with local labor and 35 percent of the available arena operation jobs with local residents. 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 facility will highlight the temperate climate of Southern California by integrating indoor/outdoor “sky gardens.” These landscaped areas for food and beverage will be accessible from every concourse level. The complex also envisions a multi-purpose plaza complete with concert stage, community basketball courts and space for the community to gather and watch everything from Clippers Playoff games to movie premieres on a supersized LED screen.

The Clippers campus aims to have net zero greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of carbon offset credits and sustainable design features.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com