Inglewood approves negotiating agreement with Clippers on arena site

The city council of Inglewood, Calif. on Thursday unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with a Los Angeles Clippers company to use city-owned land to build an arena, according to a report from the L.A. Times.

The agreement opens the door for the city and the Clippers to pursue development of a 20,000-seat arena. It would be on a 20-acre parcel located across the street from the under-construction, $2.6 billion NFL stadium that will be home to the Chargers and Rams.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been public about his desire for a new arena since he bought the team for $2 billion in 2014. The Clippers have a lease to play at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles through 2024. Ballmer has said he wants a state of the art arena and recently discussed how he wants to change the game experience for fans.

“Today’s announcement is consistent with what Steve Ballmer and the Clippers leadership have said for years – we want to be regarded as the best," said Gillian Zucker, L.A. Clippers President of Business Operations. "That requires setting the highest bar for our performance in every aspect of our business. To accomplish this goal, we must have options for the future.”

Ballmer would pay for the construction of the new arena.

The Clippers share Staples with the Los Angeles Lakers and NHL's Kings, leaving the Clippers third in choice in dates. They've played at the arena it opened in 1999.

The agreement between the Clippers and Inglewood would be for 36 months, giving the team time to complete environmental reviews. The Clippers pay Inglewood $1.5 million to cover the costs of those reviews.

The land, located south of Century Boulevard at Prairie Avenue, is currently occupied by a variety of businesses.

Contributing: The Associated Press