Buzz is building in Virginia Beach as the resort city tries to potentially woo the NBA’s Sacramento Kings to become the area’s first major sports franchise.
Meridian Group, the local ad and PR agency working on an effort to build a sports arena in the city, set off speculation last week when it registered the Internet domains virginiabeachkings.com and vbkings.com.
A press conference put together by Meridian Aug. 23 featured one of the project’s backers, Comcast-Spectator, floating plans for an 18,000-seat sports arena, according to the Hampton Roads Pilot, which pegged the cost between $275M and $400M.
The Kings have not commented on Virginia Beach’s efforts. The arena pitch does not identify a tenant.
The plan goes before the VB city council Aug. 28.
Comcast-Spectator owns the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center in Philly, where the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers play.
Meridian was hired by HKS, the global sports planning and architecture firm working on the city’s pitch, according to the Hampton Roads Business Journal.
PR vet Tom Kelley heads Meridian’s PR operation. He told the HRBJ that the domain registrations were a "normal course of business" and said the firm has reserved other addresses as well, although he declined to name them.
Plans for a new arena for the Kings in Sacramento fell through in April leading to speculation that its owners, the Maloof family, will look elsewhere.