One of the most anticipated project's in Sacramento has recently reached a big milestone. Just last week, the $477 million downtown Entertainment and Sports Center (ESC), the new home of the Sacramento Kings profession NBA basketball team, began pouring the first of eight concrete mat slabs to support the massive project.

Each pour will feature approximately 2,100 cu-yds of concrete and 1,500 tons of steel reinforcing rebar. A total of 14,000 cu-yds of concrete is expected to be used on all eight pours to support the approximately 9,000-ton future steel structure. The project's foundation will use recycled aggregate from the demolition of the Downtown Plaza.

And to keep things local, this portion of the work will be done by local contractor's, including: Concrete North of Galt, CA; Camblin Steel of Rocklin, CA; Teichert of Sacramento; and K&G Concrete Pumping, Roseville).

The pours are expected to conclude in late February, with steel installation occurring in mid-March.

The 17,500-seat arena was designed by AECOM, which has served as lead architect for 11 other NBA arenas, including Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets. Locally, AECOM also designed Aggies Stadium at the University of California, Davis. ICON Venue Group is the project manager and Turner Construction is the lead builder.

Swinerton Builders is providing pre-construction services for the mixed-use project, while JMA Ventures will serve as master developer for the project’s mixed-use project entitlement in a joint venture partnership with the Kings.

The ESC is located in the heart of downtown Sacramento and will serve as the new home for the Sacramento Kings. The state-of-the-art, indoor-outdoor, multi-use facility will also collegiate sports, concerts, ice shows, indoor rodeo, trade shows, large graduations, family shows and other indoor entertainment. It also contains a practice facility with administrative offices.

The arena is part of larger, six-block development project that will include 1.5 million sq-ft of ancillary development that will include up to 475,000 sq-ft of office, 350,000 sq-ft of retail, up to 550 new residential units, and up to 250 hotel rooms. This portion of the development has a price tag of about $250 million.

To make up the entire $477 million project price tag, the Kings basketball team is contributing approximately $254 million and the City pitching in roughly $223 million. The City will finance its contribution through the sale of bonds ($212 million) and parking and economic development funds ($11 million).

Construction for the ESC began in fall 2014, and the ESC will be completed in the fall of 2016, in time for the 2016-17 NBA season.