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Las Vegas, Nevada is already planning on building a new arena on the south Vstrip, in conjunction with MGM and AEG. Now, former Sonic Jackie Robinson is planning an arena of his own on the north side.
Robinson, a former UNLV Runnin' Rebel and NBA Champion (with the Sonics), plans on building a $1.3 billion sports and entertainment complex, tentatively known as All Net Arena and Resort. The project would be entirely privately funded and would break ground in the spring of 2014, to be opened December of 2016. The arena would be 862,500 square feet and would seat 22,000 for basketball. It would have four levels and feature a retractable roof (what is it with former Sonics and retractable roof basketball arenas? Remember Fred Brown and the Emerald City Center?) and 75 luxury suites. The arena would also be able to host hockey, rodeo events, boxing, concerts and conventions. The "Victory Plaza" would be 300,00 square feet and feature restaurants and retail. The project would also include a five-star hotel and spa.
It's unknown if Robinson would be part of a potential NBA ownership group, but he does have a history with the league and was a member of the group that owned the Las Vegas Silver Bandits of the IBL. He is also close friends with Kiki Vandeweghe, who is the NBA's executive vice president.
Seattle and Las Vegas could both be potential expansion destinations, and the Memphis Grizzlies could be moved to the Eastern Conference in order to keep things even. Do you see this as good news or bad? Does this seem like a good setup for expansion? Or does it make Vegas more likely than Seattle to snag a relocating team? Sound off in the comments section.