Sacramento Kings co-owner George Maloof said Wednesday he has agreed to make team financial data available to a city-commissioned group studying ways to finance a new sports and entertainment facility.
That group, headed by national arena builder ICON Venue Group and downtown Sacramento developer David Taylor, is due to present an arena feasibility study to the City Council on May 26.
Team officials previously refused to provide business data for the study.
The team was negotiating a move to Anaheim for the upcoming season but decided last week against that move for now.
On Wednesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson and ICON representatives met in Las Vegas with George Maloof, who runs the family's Palms hotel and casino, and has been designated his family's point man on the Sacramento arena project.
"Whatever (business data) they need, we'll help out,"
Maloof said after the meeting.
Maloof, however, said it's too early to discuss how much his family might contribute financially to a new facility. He said he needs to know more about Sacramento's approach to financing and operating a facility.
The mayor issued a statement calling the meeting "positive and constructive."
"We began a dialogue on how best to pursue a public-private partnership that creates jobs and economic development for the Sacramento region,"
the statement read. "We all look forward to the May 26 feasibility study presentation by the ICON-Taylor group."
NBA officials and Kings owners said the team will stay in Sacramento at least one more season, but would look to move elsewhere if Sacramento doesn't produce a workable arena plan prior to March 2012. They contend the team can't survive in Sacramento without the added revenue a modern arena with more amenities would provide.
