Advertisement Judge approves turning over Macy's building for downtown arena Judge delayed decision Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A judge affirmed his decision Thursday to grant the City of Sacramento rights to a parcel of land at the Downtown Plaza site for a planned arena.Watch report: City of Sacramento gains last piece of land for new arenaSacramento Superior Court Judge Raymond Cadei tentatively ruled in favor of Sacramento earlier this week in the eminent domain case, but delayed his decision Wednesday.Read the decisionIn response to Cadei's ruling, Sacramento Kings President Chris Granger issued the following statement:“We are pleased by the ruling and thank the City and other partners for their leadership on this issue. Today’s news moves us yet another step closer to breaking ground and building a truly world-class entertainment and sports complex that will revitalize downtown Sacramento and cement the Kings long-term future in this incredible community.”Watch report: Changes, construction coming soon to Downtown PlazaIn Wednesday's hearing, an attorney for U.S. Bank went back and forth with Cadei over items of eminent domain law. The attorney said that the law applies to possession of land, and not possession of structures. On Thursday, the court asked the city to submit a modified proposal that specifically outlines the takeover of the building and all of its related items.The site at the former men's Macy's store is the subject of the case, and is considered the last serious logjam before the city begins demolishing the aging mall.The site is owned by mortgage investors who appeared ready to sell to the Kings ownership group. Since then, a dispute over the value of the land has put plans on hold. This week, Cadei agreed that the city can suffer hardships if it's not allowed to immediately take over the property. A jury can decide a middle-ground price for the property at a later date.