The End of an Era

A rendering of the medical center and teaching hospital for California Northstate University planned for the former Sacramento Kings arena in Natomas. Article by Lai Man Cheung

Sacramento Kings Announce Former Arena Site Will Become New Medical Center

The site of the former Sacramento Kings arena in Natomas will soon be turned into a medical center and teaching hospital for California Northstate University, according to the team and the city of Sacramento.

The team is donating the land, around 35 developable acres, to the University for the Project, which is expected to open in three years. That leaves the team with 149 acres at the site. 

The arena, at times known as the ARCO Arena or Sleep Train Arena, first opened in 1988. It hosted the Kings until April 9, 2016

Many other teams and events played at the site, including the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs, who won the only pro-basketball championship in city history. The arena also hosted concerts and other events

ARCO Arena (known as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012 and Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until the arena’s farewell event)

The original ARCO Arena, where the Kings played their home games for three seasons (19851988), after moving from Kansas City had a capacity of 10,333 seats.

The original namesake sponsor of the arena was ARCO. On March 19, 2007, the Maloof brothers announced a multi-year agreement extending the naming rights of ARCO Arena.[9] ARCO’s sponsorship agreement ran out in February 2011. The arena was renamed Power Balance Pavilion on March 1, 2011 for its new sponsor, Power Balance, a manufacturer of sports wristbands. On October 15, 2012, the arena assumed its final name when The Sleep Train purchased the naming rights.

The last Sacramento Kings game played at Sleep Train Arena was on April 9, 2016 against the Oklahoma City Thunders. Shortly after the new home of the Kings, $507 Million Golden 1 center opened on Oct 2016. 

The demolition process of the old Kings arena began on August 9, 2022 and is expected to be complete by October 2022.