Kings Looking For Local Construction Partners

The Kings want at least 60 percent of the arena work to be done by businesses based in the Sacramento region. 

The Kings' Kunal Merchant says the team's new owners -who are also in charge of building the arena- have already begun to look locally for construction partners.

"We especially want to be looking at companies from Sacramento -especially emerging companies and small companies for whom getting to work on the arena project is going to be a huge huge step forward and a big feather in their cap and their growth.  And we think that's going to be great for the Kings and we certainly think that's going to be good for the Sacramento economy."

Another twenty percent should be small businesses, "We want the community to hold us accountable for making sure this project is a direct economic benefit to this community."

Merchant says the team has already approached local chambers of commerce, and has committed to helping local businesses submit qualified bids. 

To qualify as a local business, a bidder will have to have been working in the Sacramento region and San Joaquin County for at least a year.

Small businesses are defined as those with fewer than 100 employees and less than 14-million-dollars in gross revenues.