The first reaction to real-estate titan and pro sports owner Stan Kroenke grabbing the steering wheel on the Midway Rising arena project is to dream about San Diego’s hoop-and-puck ascent.
On Monday, Mayor Todd Gloria said it was impossible to begin any conversation about a major professional sports tenant without an arena. He said the addition of Kroenke makes completing the project far more likely.Digging into down-the-road options with Kroenke involved reveals a far bumpier road. In the short term at least, a nearly impassable road.
Other relocation targets? That only works for Kroenke if he’s a landlord, as he’s doing at SoFi Arena in Inglewood with the Chargers. In hockey, the Coyotes are trapped in 4,600 Mullet Arena at Arizona State University after a failed bid to build something in Tempe was voted down. Even if a team from the eastern divisions of either sport could sprint west, another team would need to shift to fill the scheduling vacancy.
Professional sports owners want to drive design and other core concepts. In this case, those already exist in the Midway Rising plan approved by the city. The chaos of a do-over, if even possible, staggers.Tweaking the plan to create the pile of money a pro sports franchise requires is not possible as it stands now. The plan is maxed out with affordable housing, green space and more. It’s the ultimate 20 pounds of you-know-what in a 5-pound-bag scenario.