Amid a festive atmosphere at City Hall, the Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday night to approve the construction of a new downtown arena for the Kings, ending years of effort and angst.
The 7-2 vote came after more than four hours of impassioned public testimony and deliberation by the City Council. An overflow crowd inside the Council chambers erupted into cheers of “Sacramento” when the vote was tallied.
Mayor Kevin Johnson said the vote marked “the end of one era and the dawn of a new one.”
The $477 million arena will replace a mostly vacant Downtown Plaza that has languished for years. The arena’s financing plan includes a city contribution of $255 million and $222 million from the Kings.