The Press-Enterprise of Riverside California reports that the new arena being built for the Seattle Kraken’s AHL team will be in Palm Desert instead of Palm Springs, as originally reported.
According to the article, “Investment and venue development company the Oak View Group, one of the entities behind the arena, announced in a news release Wednesday, Sept. 16, that it was partnering with The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation to open a sports and entertainment arena on private land owned by the foundation near the City of Palm Desert.”
The decision to move was taken because Oak View Group reportedly failed to finalize a planned agreement with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The original location, next to the Agua Caliente Casino in Palm Springs, depended on this agreement.
More information about the new AHL franchise and new arena may be found at https://www.ahlpalmsprings.com.
How Other Publications Cover This Story
- Seattle Kraken delay AHL franchise by 1 year, ESPN, “The Seattle Kraken will split their players among several American Hockey League teams for their inaugural 2021-22 season with plans for their own AHL franchise in the Palm Springs area delayed by a year. Oak View Group and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation announced plans Wednesday to build a sports and entertainment arena in California’s Coachella Valley that will be the future home of the Kraken’s AHL franchise, but it will not open until the 2022-23 season.”
- With new arena plan in its place, where does The Shield project go now?, Palm Springs Desert Sun, “When a 10,000-seat arena was proposed in 2019 for downtown Palm Springs, officials behind another proposed arena in the desert, The Shield at 1 Coyote Way, said they had no problem with the competition….””Now the land near Classic Club is the future location for a 10,000-seat arena planned by Oak View Group, which had initially proposed the arena for downtown Palm Springs in partnership with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. That partnership ended this spring, and now OVG and the Berger Foundation have formed a new partnership.”