IE's economic engines | citizens business bank arena

Team effort
Players bring their 'A' game to get it done

ONTARIO
By ANDREA BENNETT, PHOTOS BY WILLIAM VASTA

THE OPENING of the 11,000-seat Citizens Business Bank Arena is on the horizon, meaning world-class concerts, sporting events and shows are about to descend upon the region.

When the arena opens this fall, with professional hockey, concerts by the likes of Carrie Underwood, and other events, that moment will be the culmination of years of work by several people who helped turn the dream into a reality.

The Kemps and beginnings Barry Kemp, 58, has been a part of the plans for the city's $150 million arena project and the vision of its home team, Ontario Reign, for about a decade.

While he was owner of the Long Beach Ice Dogs, Kemp began talks with Ontario officials about a minor league hockey team as the anchor tenant for a private arena.

"We were going to try to privatize it and worked a couple years on that, but it was never brought to fruition," Kemp said. "Then, growth in the area increased and land value increased dramatically, which made it possible for the city to build the arena." About four years ago, Kemp returned to discussions — this time to partner in managing the arena and the Reign, which plays its first home game Oct. 25. He and AEG each own part of both the venue and team.

AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Co., owns or controls a number of teams and properties, including the Los Angeles Kings and Staples Center.

With a career in television and film production, Kemp knows what it takes to entertain a crowd, and he plans to do just that.

"Now we have a facility with the electrical capacity to put on a great show for sports fans and non-sports fans," he said. "We always thought the Inland Empire was underserved from an entertainment standpoint." Kemp said he enjoys the fact that his son, Justin, is running things so smoothly out here, too. "To see it come to fruition, to sit inside the building and see it look and feel the way you hoped it would, even exceeding our expectations, it's gratifying." Justin Kemp, 30, is executive vice president of business operations for the Ontario Reign, overseeing ticket sales, finance, community relations, corporate partnerships and marketing.

"I think we can set records," Kemp said. "The area out here can support this market better than any other in the NHL.

There's no competition." People from far and near will flock to Reign games the first year for the novelty, he said. Then, after three to five years, Kemp expects to see a growing fan base and a more hockey-savvy crowd. He predicts games will draw 215,000 to 230,000 people to the arena each year.

Kemp said the blank canvas upon which he and his father are building a hockey team and its audience is a thrill — and a challenge.

"The challenge is the unknown," he said. "When you start something from scratch, you don't have any history to go on. At this point, we're making sure to throw as many resources as we can at it."

AEG and the manager
Steve Eckerson has a history working at venues — from Seattle to Kentucky to Florida — so he's well prepared for his role as AEG general manager of Citizens Business Bank Arena.

"My true passion is for arenas, as opposed to event centers or stadiums," Eckerson said. "I like to have events year round." That will be a challenge because of the competition.

"There are a lot of arenas and not enough events to fill them," he said.

"We'll end up doing 125 events, which is one every three days, and that's good. I'd like to get that to 200." The former minor league hockey player is looking forward to seeing the Reign play, and he's confident the new arena will be a huge hit.

"There are 4.1 million people in the Inland Empire and no arena," Eckerson said. "Unlike arenas put into depressed areas, this is the focal point of a new, vibrant and growing area."

A big dream, lots of details
Mayor Paul Leon said planning for an arena in Ontario meant creating a comprehensive big picture out of a bunch of little details.

For the past eight years, Leon has been touring arenas around the nation, along with Councilman Alan Wapner and City Manager Greg Devereaux, to get every last component and "creature comfort" right.

"I must have sat in 200 chairs just to figure out what kind of chairs, materials and width we wanted," Leon said. "We looked at as many details as possible to make our arena the most efficient arena, down to the kind of reader boards to have. It took a lot of thought, study and conversations with people in the know." Ontario's arena will have ample storage for performers, extra seating and floors, and it will be a straight shot to the seats, so there will be no walking through mazes, he said.

The initial concept of the arena and its manifestation have been the result of a team effort by various councils over the years.

"Our project will bring income and revenue to the region, and the arena adds to the list of amenities we provide," Leon said.

"We'll always be proud that Ontario is the economic engine of the Inland Empire."

Ontario Councilman Alan Wapner says he suggested building a professional sports stadium more than a decade ago when the city annexed the agricultural preserve land. A study revealed there was a large enough demand for it, but the media market was not yet ready.

"I had to convince five City Council members on six City Councils over the years," Wapner said.

And a deal was struck with AEG.

"We didn't want another convention center, with bonds to pay and (also be) subsidizing operations every year," he said. "So AEG is responsible for all operating costs and provides a minimum of $1 million per year, plus 70 percent of all profits above that goes to the city." The result will be a major economic generator that improves entertainment options for residents and makes the Ontario Mills shopping mall and Ontario Convention Center even more attractive.

"A lot of retail and offices in Piemonte are conditional on the arena as the anchor," Wapner said of the mixed-use center to be built just north of the venue.

"They paid extra for land because of the arena."