Once home to the Sacramento Monarchs and the current home to the Sacramento Kings, Sleep Train Arena, previously called Arco Arena and Power Balance Pavilion, is on the verge of undergoing a major upgrade– a big move to the new Golden 1 arena to be located in Downtown Sacramento.

  Opened in 1988, the arena served as a home to not only basketball games, but also concerts, circuses, and many other entertainment events.

  The new arena will open in October of 2016, and will cost approximately $507 million, according to golden1center.com.

  Many families in the Granite Bay community were season ticket holders for the NBA team the Sacramento Kings for many years at Sleep Train arena, and know that they are going to continue to be once the new center opens.

  Granite Bay High School senior, Alex Gavia, says that his family has been and will continue to be season ticket holders, despite the fact that the tradition of going to Sleep Train year after year will discontinue.

   “We already bought season tickets at the new arena because my parents love the Kings and have had tickets since early 2000,” Gavia said about his family.

  The new arena should not affect the attendance during basketball games, but Gavia does believe that it will draw more attention.

  “(Sleep Train) was old and it was time for a new one,” Gavia said.

  The new technological advancements made for Golden 1 include bi-fold aircraft hangar doors and will be known as “the ‘smart’  building” by golden1center.com

  Not only are families in the community looking forward to what is anticipated technologically from the new arena, student fans at Granite Bay express their optimism towards what’s yet to be revealed.

  “(I’ve been a King’s fan) for 6 years now,” said Kenny LeBeau, a junior. “Basketball is a fast-paced sport that’s fun to watch and (the King’s) are the local team.”

  LeBeau said that Sleep Train is important to a lot of fans in the community, as well as the Sacramento area.

  “I think it’s sad that (Sleep Train)  is closing but (I’m) also excited about the new arena,” LeBeau said.

  Not only is he looking forward to the new atmosphere of Golden 1 in Downtown, LeBeau also thinks it will contribute to the businesses around it.

  “I think a lot of businesses (around Sleep Train) will go out of business, but more businesses will open around the new one so it will even out,” LeBeau added.

  As far as being a Kings’ fan goes, LeBeau looks forward to the fresh environment the NBA team will be playing in starting October.

  “Considering the Kings have sucked recently at Sleep Train, I think they can make a new identity for themselves, hopefully,” LeBeau said.

  LeBeau is not the only junior who is a regular attendee to basketball games.

  “I’ve been a Kings fan for 17 years,” junior Brett Walston said,”

  Walston said that he has attended about 200 games in his lifetime at Sleep Train arena.

  “ I feel sad about the original Arco arena closing since it was the first arena I ever saw the Kings in,” Walston expressed.

  The sadness most people are feeling towards the closing of Sleep Train arena is overpowered by the excitement towards Golden 1 center and the new promises it made to the public.

  “I look forward to the fresh new record in the Golden 1 center and the new state-of-the-art equipment,” Walston said. “We get a new start in the best arena in the world.”

  Walston carries a lot of hope for the Kings and their future at Golden 1.

  “I believe with my full heart that the Kings will be able to rediscover their greatness that they achieved in the past at Arco and one day win the NBA championship in the Golden 1 center,” Walston said.

  The optimism seems to be active with many students at Granite Bay as they are excited for what’s to come at the new Golden 1 center.