The privately-financed IBEC project will include a world-class basketball arena, practice facility and team offices for the L.A. Clippers
IT News Wire
INGLEWOOD — The environmental impact report (EIR) for the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, which will transform 28 acres of land into a vibrant sports and entertainment campus and a source of community pride, was unanimously approved Tuesday July 22nd by the Inglewood City Council.
The EIR is the most extensive environmental study ever completed by the City. The vote marks a critical milestone in the approval process of the project, which is expected to break ground in the summer of 2021. The arena will open in time for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season following the expiration of the L.A. Clippers’ lease at STAPLES Center.
“This City is the perfect fit for the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center,” said Chris Meany, co-founder and managing partner of Wilson Meany, which is leading the development of the project. “Once complete, this will be one of the most environmentally-friendly sports venues in California, all while providing a unique, exciting and fun experience for fans, players and staff. The same core values that are helping the Clippers build a championship basketball team are also helping Inglewood’s economic and cultural renaissance.”
The Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center will be an 18,000-seat world-class facility unlike any other arena in the NBA. It is designed to create the ultimate basketball experience for fans, players and the community. Inside the building, fans will enjoy one of the loudest and most intense experiences in professional basketball. Outside, they’ll enjoy open plazas and public spaces that will engage the community in an “urban oasis.”
Sustainability is at the core of the design and the project’s EIR, which demonstrates how the new Inglewood arena will become one of the most environmentally-friendly and energy efficient sports venues in the country. Governor Gavin Newsom certified that the project will not result in any net additional greenhouse gas emissions and will achieve other stringent environmental standards, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status.
“The Clippers team is the most philanthropic sports organization in the country, and has truly stepped up to be an impactful partner in Inglewood,” said project manager Gerard McCallum of Wilson Meany. “From hiring Inglewood residents to work on the project to refurbishing local basketball courts to helping renters and first-time homebuyers stay here in the community, the Clippers have shown this is about much more than an arena.”
This project will contribute to the renaissance that is unfolding in the City of Inglewood by:
• Creating more than 7,000 full and part-time construction jobs and up to 1,500 permanent full and part-time jobs when the complex opens.
• Hiring local. Local hire programs are in place to steer employment opportunities to In- glewood residents and businesses, including a goal that 35 percent of arena operation jobs would go to Inglewood residents.
• Generating an estimated $260 million in annual economic activity for Inglewood and ap- proximately $100 million in tax revenue over the first 15 years of operation. That money will help support vital city services such as parks, libraries and police and fire stations.
Being a good neighbor on and off the court is a passion that is ingrained in the team’s culture and championed by its leadership. The IBEC project includes an unprecedented Community Benefits package that will be the largest community benefits package ever to a sports venue. The Clippers organization has committed $100 million to proven, life-changing programs that will have a di- rect positive effect on the lives of Inglewood children and families. The package will provide:
• A $75 million Affordable Housing Development Loan Fund to buy, preserve and develop affordable housing in Inglewood for Inglewood residents;
• $5.5 million in homeowner and rental assistance;
• $12.75 million for education and youth programs;
• $6 million for Inglewood Public Library improvements; • $500,000 for parks and community programming.
