Sacramento district to buy land for new school on former Sacramento Kings arena site

The Natomas Unified School District reached an agreement to purchase 12 acres of land on a portion of the former Sacramento Kings arena site in North Natomas, where the district plans to build a new school to serve families living in the area.

The district reached an agreement to purchase the land for $6 million, or $500,000 per acre, from the Sacramento Kings’ SBH Natomas LLC, according to the district’s school board agenda. The purchase price is $1 million less than the appraised value of the property, according to the district.

The new school could potentially focus on STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics, education — learning, district officials announced this week in a news release. Plans for the school property would include 4 acres the district will designate for a playground and a field for students during school hours and as a park for the surrounding community after school, which would be the result of a partnership with the city of Sacramento.

“The open space agreement is similar to some of the other agreements that we have done in the past with the city,” Natomas Unified Superintendent Chris Evans said in the news release. “It’s an opportunity for both our students and the Natomas community to benefit.”

School district officials said there would be more steps ahead for the project before construction is considered, including approval of the purchase by both boards. The Natomas Unified School Board of Trustees approved the purchase agreement during their meeting Wednesday night with a 5-0 vote.

“We are pleased to partner with the Natomas Unified School District to further redevelop the arena site into a hub of innovation for our region,” Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart said in the news release. “The school district will join California Northstate University in creating an education pipeline for our region.”

In June, a deal was reached for the Sacramento Kings to turn over 35 acres of land, including the arena, to Northstate to build a hospital and medical complex on the site. The teaching hospital, trauma center and medical school could bring up to 3,000 jobs as well as housing to the property.