SACRAMENTO, Calif. Dwight Gooden Jersey . -- Sacramentos City Council on Tuesday approved a financing plan for the Kings NBA franchise, clearing the way for construction on a $477 million downtown arena. The council voted 7-2 on the package during a meeting that caps off the citys lengthy struggle to keep the team from moving to Seattle a year ago. Mayor Kevin Johnson declared "Long live the Kings" after the final vote, and the chamber erupted in cheers along with team owners. "We had our backs against the wall, but we defied the odds. We made a comeback for the ages and in doing so, I feel like we unleashed the very best that Sacramento has to offer," said Johnson, a former three-time NBA All-Star who maintains strong connections to the league. Under the 35-year deal, the city would be responsible for a $223 million subsidy, much of it financed through a parking revenue bond. The city would pay an estimated $21.9 million a year in debt service that would be paid through lease payments from the Kings and a projected increase in parking revenue. The city also is transferring $32 million worth of land and allowing the team to operate six digital billboards. In return, the Kings would contribute $254 million to construct the arena and develop surrounding land with a hotel, office tower and shopping. Construction on the crown-shaped sports facility will break ground this summer and open in time for the 2016-17 season. At the start of the council meeting, Kings President Chris Granger called it a historic day for the team and Sacramento region, saying the arena would serve as a hub for economic development. The project would bring 11,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs, he said. "This is certainly bigger than basketball," Granger said. "But it doesnt just end there. At the very core, this project is about community." The NBA had told the city that it must open the arena by 2017 or risk losing the Kings. Former Kings owners George, Joe and Gavin Maloof considered moving the team to Las Vegas, Anaheim and Virginia Beach, Virginia, until announcing an agreement that called for investor Chris Hansen to buy the team and move it to Seattle. Johnson led the city in a fight to keep the Kings and got the City Council to approve a plan for a new arena. The Maloofs then sold the Kings to a group led by TIBCO Software Chairman Vivek Ranadive. The council approved a financing plan that allows for construction on the new sports and entertainment complex to replace an aging shopping mall a few blocks from the Capitol. The Kings have played in Sacramento since 1985 and currently play in the 26-year-old Sleep Train Arena, in the citys north end. Scott VandenBerg, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Sacramento and chairman of the board of the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the council that the arena will support new and existing businesses by expanding tourism. "Just the speculation that an entertainment and sports complex was going to be approved has already helped improve the health of our downtown core," VandenBerg said. Council members who opposed the deal said that the projects economic benefits are overstated and fear the city isnt getting enough from a public subsidy. Councilman Darrell Fong said the arena adds too much debt. "I know my vote wont stop this deal," Fong said. "Believe me, I hope Im proven wrong." A majority, however, hailed Tuesday as a pivotal moment for elevating the citys reputation. "Its not just about a venue for entertainment and sports; its about the type of life that people get to have when they choose to live in our region," said Councilwoman Angelique Ashby. Critics unsuccessfully tried to block the citys subsidy with a petition drive that failed to qualify for the ballot. Opponents including Patrick Soluri, a Sacramento attorney, vowed to continue to fight. "The mayor and City Council no longer represent the interests of ordinary citizens," Soluri told the council. "Cronyism is running rampant, subsidies for the super-wealthy are handed out at the expense of working-class people and basic municipal services." Before the vote, the team sponsored a rally outside City Hall to show support for the project, drawing hundreds of fans, many of them dressed in purple, the teams colour. Keith Hernandez Jersey . Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. Jay Bruce Jersey . Brad Malone had the other goal for the Monsters (1-1-0), while Elliott chipped in an assist for a three-point night and the games first star. Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland. http://www.officialmetsfanstore.com/mets-todd-frazier-jersey/ . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.VANCOUVER -- More than four years after the Olympic flame went out on the West Coast, the Vancouver Organizing Committee released its final reports Thursday and turned out the lights. VANOC said the Games broke even, with total revenues and expenses just shy of $1.9 billion. The group that organized the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics has no more assets or outstanding debts and has asked government to dissolve the company. "It was 11 years ago yesterday we took the stage in Prague and we made promises," CEO John Furlong said in an interview. "We made commitments in the name of the country, we made commitments to the IOC and we made commitments to the Canadian public that we would deliver the Games in the black and so we set out to do that." It was a challenging journey, he said, pointing out the global economic collapse in 2008. "I think that worried us," Furlong said. With the Sochi Games in the not-so-distant past and fresh concerns about the World Cup in Brazil, Furlong said there has been much discussion about the cost of such large events and the difficulties some countries have had. "I look at our situation and think we are a very good model of how to do these events. This is, to me, very good for the Canada brand of being reliable, being trustworthy, keeping your promises, being on time and on budget, being responsible about the things that really matter to the public," he said. At the end of the day, the final financial report said the federal government contributed $74.4 million, the British Columbia government $113.4 million and other governments $176 million. The Internaational Olympic Committee kicked in $659 million in sponsorships and contributions to help cover the tab. Michael Conforto Jersey. . Ticket sales raised $269 million, while licensing and merchandising accounted for another $54 million. An independent audit by Ernst and Young confirmed the results. The final financial statement said all sites have been remediated and turned over to the province and local governments as legacy venues and the organizing committee asked government to dissolve the company after its final meeting on June 27. The final report said several claims and disputed contracts have been resolved since the event, along with an 18-month coroners review of the Whistler Sliding Centre, where a Georgian luger was killed in a training accident. Critics point out that some of the most expensive infrastructure of the Games, including the Sea to Sky Highway, the Vancouver Convention Centre and a rapid transit line to the airport were not included in the final tally. The expansion of the Vancouver Convention Centre cost $883 million, $388 million over budget. The SkyTrains Canada Line linking Vancouver to the airport cost $2.1 billion. But Furlong said all the buildings and infrastructure are currently in use and board chairman Ken Dobell said the Games left a debt-free legacy for the country. "First of all, it cost what it was supposed to cost," Dobell said. Significant capital upgrades were made that had to happen sooner or later, and the host communities now have recreation and community facilities for residents. "Was it a worthwhile endeavour? 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