Clippers Make Progress Toward New Arena

7:29pm: Inglewood City Council will hold a vote Thursday on the exclusive negotiating agreement, writes Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers are hoping to build an 18,000- to 20,000-seat arena on a 22-acre site across from a new stadium that will serve as home to the Rams and Chargers. Inglewood will receive $1.5MM from the Clippers, and the ENA will cover 36 months, enough time for “lengthy environmental reviews.”

Under the agreement, the new facility will be “state of the art,” Fenno tweets. Ballmer plans to cover the entire cost himself (Twitter link).

6:03pm: The Clippers are nearing an exclusive negotiating agreement with Inglewood, Calif., for a new arena, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). A formal announcement is expected Thursday.

The team currently plays in Staples Center, which it shares with the Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. The Clippers have a lease at the building that runs through 2024, but owner Steve Ballmer has been outspoken about the team leaving before then and getting a facility of its own.

The Clippers, who have been at Staples Center since it opened in 1999, reportedly get a smaller share of revenues and have less influence over scheduling than the building’s other tenants.

Representatives of the Clippers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams have reportedly talked about creating a “sports and entertainment district” in Inglewood along with the L.A. Chargers, who are moving from San Diego. Tentative plans call for that project to be ready by 2019.