Los Angeles Clippers Expediting Inglewood Arena With Lawmakers' Help
The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers have seen significant pushback on the franchise’s proposed Inglewood arena. However, that resistance won’t be coming from local and state government, which is helping the Clippers expedite the process through legislation.
According to Inglewood Today, Mayor James T. Butts is leading lobbyist efforts to amend restraints around the arena’s construction. California’s state government in Sacramento has previously afforded leniency to other arena proposals, including recent ones for fellow NBA teams the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. Leniency here would apply to challenges around time and environmental reviews.
Under the proposed amendment, California Environmental Quality Act lawsuits would need to be concluded within nine months. Should the draft go through, it would limit the ability to halt construction, even if issues were discovered during an environmental review.
A primary concern for any Inglewood project would be traffic and potential transit hub additions to the area. With the Chargers and Rams currently building an NFL stadium nearby, and the Forum regularly hosting events as well, the stress on local resources could be great.
The bill is likely to see significant opposition from environmental advocates, portions of the local community, and the Forum (which did not receive the same leniency this proposal calls for).