The time has come to reinvigorate the arena discussion. Sacramento has been waiting for a deal to come together at Cal Expo. We’ve all been patient. But there is no deal on the horizon. So as we stand here today and look out over Sacramento, it’s clear that re-making Cal Expo can not be our only option. Look out those windows. Let yourself dream. You will see there are many options – options everywhere. Let’s get after them.

Let me say it straight out: We need a new sports and entertainment center—not for the sake of having a shiny new arena—but during these historic economic times as a project, which if done right can create new jobs for our people and new revenue for our community.

There are examples around the country of sports complex’s being used to create jobs and revenue. The MCI Center in Washington, DC revitalized a large area of downtown Washington, DC. AT&T park in San Francisco has served as the cornerstone of the development of the extended Mission Bay area.

And on this point, we’ve already found common ground.

Our need was driven home a few weeks ago. The NCAA said they won’t bring their basketball tournament back to Sacramento. You know why: Arco Arena is too shabby.

The NCAA’s decision is not just about our city missing out on March Madness—it is about our city missing out on the economic activity that hosting such an event can generate for all of us.

So we need a new arena. People have been saying that for years. But this time is different. This time, we can make it happen.

And we are committed to playing to win to make it happen in a way that will put the public’s interest first.

If you look at history, going back 3,000 years, you will see that the great cities have five things in common. These five things never change.

They provide safety. They provide work. They provide a marketplace. They provide education. And they provide a place for the culture to get together – a place where people celebrate.

Take any of those things away, you can’t have a great city.

You see where an arena fits. An arena is a cultural center. It brings a sense of community. It creates an economic catalyst for jobs and redevelopment.

Let me emphasize that point. This isn’t about basketball or the Kings. It’s about our community. Our culture. Our economy.

It is about putting taxpayers first.

It is about new jobs for the people of Sacramento.

It is about new revenue for our great city.

If we create jobs, stimulate the economy and fill our arena with cultural celebrations, it won’t matter if the Kings or a hockey team or a concert plays there. The community will have already won.

And there’s something else. Something we desperately need. We’ve got to prove we can build a major project in Sacramento. I am tired of hearing, “No, we can’t.”

Sacramento is a City of winners. We will play to win. And when I talk to people in the City—they say “Yes, we will.”

So what am I talking about? A state of the art, world class facility.

Not a building out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a parking lot. And not just a sports arena.

I’m talking about an entertainment center that lights up six blocks in all directions. That works hand in hand with transit. That is all about smart growth and green technology. And which will be jobs and revenue multiplier—generating economic activity beyond its own bricks and mortar.

I’m talking about a vision of who we are, what we are.

All right, that sounds pretty good. And you’ve heard it all before. Arena ideas have come and gone in Sacramento.

But let me tell you why they came and went. Let’s avoid the quicksand that killed those ideas.

They all made the same mistakes. They focused on taxes. They were done without public input and a process. They had no business fundamentals. They had no imagination.

Simply put, the public’s interest was not put first.

This time, we can avoid those mistakes. But we have to be willing to dream. We have to be smart.

And, most of all, we need to play to win.

To help guide us, I’ve come up with a roadmap. I’m calling it, Playing To Win—The Rules of The Game.

The Rules will be our guiding principles. They will be non-negotiable. We won’t break them. Here we go:

Rule Number Two: We must negotiate from strength and not be used as leverage. We won’t get pushed around by anybody.

Rule Number Three: We must be totally transparent.

And Rule Number Four: We must think inside the box – yes, inside. And we must go outside the box. We have to be responsible – and audacious. Maybe even a little crazy. That’s OK.

Maybe the city will find creative ways to help. Maybe we can get the state to partner up. Anything is possible, as long as we follow the Rules of the Game.

So, the first thing I’m going to do is establish a public process that will be guided by criteria and a timeline. I’ll be rolling out an open call for proposals with guidelines in the next few days.

It will be a tight timeline – just a matter of weeks.

I will also introduce a task force to help out. Since I became mayor, I’ve blended work between the public and private sectors.

Sacramento has many great strengths—but our greatest strength is the talent, energy, commitment and vision of our people. I will be calling folks off the bench—and even some from the stands—to come on the court and be part of our team.

I’ve had success with the arts, homelessness and education. The public-private approach is the best way to get things done—and maintain transparency.

The task force will help with evaluations. They will work fast. By next Spring, we’ll know where we stand.

OK, you’ve heard the Rules of the Game. I want to leave you with a Call to Action. I challenge everyone in this room, and everyone outside those windows: Think big, think about all those great cities from the last 3,000 years. Think about how we join that list.

Let’s put our differences aside.

Let’s not be critical of the other ideas.

Let’s not smother any other person’s dreams.

Let’s prove Sacramento is a World Class City.

I don’t want to be mayor of anything less.

We are playing to win. 

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