G1C The G1 | |
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 Golden 1 Center in 2017 | |
| Address | 500 David J. Stern Walk[1] |
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| Location | Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°34′49.3″N121°29′58.6″W / 38.580361°N 121.499611°W /38.580361; -121.499611 |
| Public transit |  Sacramento Regional Transit District: atSt. Rose of Lima Park |
| Owner | City of Sacramento[2] |
| Operator | Sacramento Kings LP, LLC[2] |
| Capacity | Basketball: 17,608[3] Concerts: 19,000 |
| Field size | 779,200 sq ft (72,390 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 29, 2014[4] |
| Opened | September 30, 2016 |
| Construction cost | US$558.2 million[5] ($731 million in 2024 dollars[6]) |
| Architect | AECOM[7] Mark Dziewulski Architect[8] |
| Project manager | ICON Venue Group |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti/Buehler & Buehler[8] Geocon Consultants, Inc. (geotechnical engineer) |
| Services engineer | Henderson Engineers, Inc.[8] |
| General contractor | Turner Construction[7] |
| Tenants | |
| Sacramento Kings (NBA) (2016–present) | |
| Website | |
| golden1center | |
Golden 1 Center is anindoor arena in downtownSacramento, California, United States. It sits partially on the site of the formerDowntown Plaza shopping center.[9] The publicly owned arena is part of a business and entertainment district calledDowntown Commons (DoCo), which includes a $250 million 16-story mixed-use tower.
The arena, which replacedARCO Arena as the home of theSacramento Kings of theNational Basketball Association, hosts concerts, conventions and other sporting and entertainment events. Capacity is expandable to about 19,000 to accommodate concert audiences.[3] 34luxury suites were sold to include allevents year-round. Suite partners have access to three exclusive clubs on the premium level including two skyboxes that overlook the concourse and have a direct view of the outside. In addition to the luxury suites, there are 48 loft-style suites.
As part ofthe successful effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento, an ownership group led byVivek Ranadivé purchased the majority stake in the team from theMaloof family, with the city agreeing to partner with the Kings to build a new arena by 2016. Construction began October 29, 2014.[4][10]Turner Construction, known in the Sacramento area for having built Terminal B atSacramento International Airport and other projects, was the construction manager for the new arena.[7][8]
The Kings' previous owners, led by the Maloof family, first proposed a downtown arena in 2012.[11] The arena's estimated cost was $391 million.[12] The City of Sacramento would have paid $255.5 million, the Kings would have contributed $73.25 million, andAEG was going to contribute $58.75 million.[13]
The Kings decided to name the street leading to the front door of the arena in honor of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, whose persistent, decades-long efforts helped keep the franchise in Sacramento. Officially, the address of Golden 1 Center is 500 David J. Stern Walk.[14]The arena's first concert was held on October 4, 2016, with a two-night concert held byPaul McCartney on hisOne on One tour.[15]
TheSacramento City Council voted approval of public financing and other terms on May 20, 2014.[16] The total cost of Golden 1 Center was once estimated to be $507 million. The Sacramento Kings contributed approximately $284 million and the City of Sacramento contributed approximately $223 million. The City of Sacramento financed its contribution through the sale of bonds ($212 million) and parking and economic development funds ($11 million).
Construction costs of the new Golden 1 Center increased to $534.6 million due to a change in the seating configuration that moved hundreds of seats to the lower bowl and closer to the basketball court and additional features.[5][17]
Golden 1 Center reflects the fabric ofNorthern California by utilizing regionally sourced materials that range from glass to recycled aluminum to potentially precast concrete, composed of sand fromSan Benito and rocks of Sierra limestone that reflect the colors of the region. Additionally, Golden 1 Center utilizes onlyFSC-certified wood, an international standard of quality and responsible forest management.[18]
A rooftop solar array, installed by Solar Power Inc. at a cost of $2.5 million, generates up to 1.2 megawatts,[19] augmented by an 11 megawatt solar field in nearbyRancho Seco operated by theSacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Installingsolar power is part of the Sacramento Kings ownership's goal to have its new sports and entertainment center be the most technologically advanced arena in the country, and that includes being efficient and usingrenewable energy.[20] The arena earned LEED Platinum certification in late September 2016.[21]
Along with the architectural design, a number of artworks were permanently installed, with works from local artists such asPhil America and Gale Hart[22][23] and internationally recognized artistJeff Koons.[24]
A unique fan tradition was born on the arena in 2022. For theseason, 4 massive, purple-litlaser beams were installed in the grand entrance of the arena, meant to be lit everytime the Kings garnered a victory, either at home or away. The intense beams can be seen from miles away, and have received significant fan support. Chants of "Light the Beam!" have become common ahead of Kings wins, with thehashtag #LightTheBeam becoming popular within the Kings' social media presence after every win.[25]
The main videoboard, to be hung over center court, is 84 feet (26 m) long, 10 feet (3.0 m) shorter than the basketball court below. Developed in partnership withPanasonic Corp. of North America, it consumes more than 6,100 square feet (570 m2) and is currently the second largest screens in theNBA. The main screens are 44 feet (13 m) wide by 24 feet (7.3 m) tall, crowned by 6 foot (1.8 m) tall message boards, and broadcast in4K Ultra HD. In addition to the main scoreboard, two 25-foot (7.6 m) tall video screens welcome fans as they walk through the arena's main entrance facing the public plaza, and another 600 HD displays broadcast the game to fans gathered in concourses, clubs and suites, Over 1,500 feet (460 m) of LED ribbon boards were installed throughout the arena bowl.[26]
According to a Kings news release, the arena is “the world’s most connected indoor sports and entertainment venue" as the result of a multi-year deal withComcast to provide “fully redundant transport facilities and two 100-gigabitethernet dedicated internet circuits” at the facility. Freewi-fi connections at the arena, provided byRuckus Networks, will be 17,000 times faster than the average home network. The connection will extend into the plaza surrounding the arena. As an example of its bandwidth, the team said the network will be able to handle more than 225,000 posts onInstagram every second.[27]
A rooftop platform with light pipes can be programmed by local artists and used to convey events in the arena to the public through visually appealing light shows.
On June 16, 2015, Sacramento-basedGolden 1 Credit Union acquired naming rights for the arena at a cost of $120 million over 20 years, with an average annual value at $6 million, making it one of the largestnaming rights deals for a single-tenant NBA arena.[28]
It is estimated that 10–15% of visitors will walk, bike or take public transportation to Golden 1 Center events.[29] More than 13,500 parking spaces exist within ½ mile of the arena.Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) has five light rail stations in the vicinity, with the closest at 8th & K (also known as St. Rose of Lima Park Station). TheSacramento Valley Station, located at 4th and I Streets, offersAmtrak trains, RT trains and buses, and taxi service.
WWE has held multiple events at Golden 1 Center includingNo Mercy in 2016[30] andHell in a Cell in 2019.[31] The venue also hostsRaw andSmackDown as well.AEW held the post-RevolutionDynamite episode (andRampage tapings as well) on March 8, 2023.
On December 17, 2016,UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson took place at Golden 1 Center and marked the first MMA event held within the arena.[32]
Since 2017, theProfessional Bull Riders (PBR) have held an annualBuilt Ford Tough Series event at Golden 1 Center. Prior to 2017 the event was held at the Sleep Train Arena (an event which began in 2005).
TheSacramento Kings began using the arena since the 2016–2017 NBA season. The Kings' first game at the arena was on October 10, 2016, againstMaccabi Haifa B.C. in a preseason game, winning 135–96. Their first regular-season game at the arena was on October 27, 2016, as the Kings lost to theSan Antonio Spurs, 102–94.[33]
TheNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced Sacramento as a host city for the first and second rounds of the2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 17 and 19, 2017.[34] The arena hosted the first and second rounds of theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2023. Sacramento was also selected to host the regionals of theNCAA Division I women's basketball tournament in 2026.
The arena has been home to theCalifornia Interscholastic Federation (CIF) High School Basketball State Championships and CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Basketball Championships since 2017.[35]
The winter 2020 legislative session of theCalifornia State Legislature was conducted at Golden 1 Center to facilitatesocial distancing during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[36]
The Kings will announce Tuesday that they are naming the street leading to the front door of the new downtown arena in honor of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, whose persistent, decades-long efforts helped keep the franchise in Sacramento. Officially, the address of the Golden 1 Center – to be submitted to the city Tuesday for approval – is 500 David J. Stern Walk.
David Stern came back to his not-so-old neighborhood Thursday. Literally his neighborhood -- Golden 1 Center is located at 500 David J. Stern Walk -- in a deep bow that none of this happens without the former commissioner. Not the team, not the arena and not the plans for a downtown rejuvenation with the shiny new building as the spark.
The NCAA announced Monday that the city's new arena would host first- and second-round games in its annual men's basketball tournament in 2017. The games would be played in the arena roughly five months after it is scheduled to open.
... in the first period of the girls Open Division CIF state basketball championship game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, March 25, 2017
| Events and tenants | ||
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| Preceded by | Home of theSacramento Kings 2016 – present | Succeeded by current |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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