Honda Center officials yesterday broke ground on a $20M dining project "expected to help attract an NBA team to the Anaheim venue," according to Nancy Luna of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Grand Terrace "will be a private members-only dining facility on the club level." A separate "sports-themed restaurant, yet to be named, will be built at the ground level for the public." The entire project, which "will triple the size of the Ducks merchandise store, is expected to be complete" by February '13. It is the "largest Honda Center improvement since the venue was built 19 years ago." Ducks Owner Henry Samueli said that the 15,000-square-foot project is a "step in the right direction for attracting" an NBA team. Grand Terrace members will "pay $400 a year for access to the restaurant during Ducks games." Season-ticket holders "get first crack at being members," and "many have already snapped up memberships for the private restaurant, which will feature an 80-foot-long bar" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/9). In California, Randy Youngman notes Samueli made it clear yesterday that he "remains committed to bringing an NBA franchise to Anaheim, even if it's not the Kings." He said, "The arena was built in 1993 to be able to accommodate two sports teams, so that vision hasn't changed. Whatever opportunity comes to us, we'll be happy to engage and discuss" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/9). Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait at the groundbreaking yesterday said, "We can envision a day fans will attend NHL hockey, concerts and NBA basketball games here. It will be fan-tastic" (L.A. TIMES, 2/9).

KINGS' COURT: In Sacramento, Bizjak & Kasler report the Sacramento City Council "came within one vote Tuesday night of derailing" the city's arena project "before knowing what the plan would look like." By a 5-4 margin, the council "rejected a request by Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy to ask voters in June if they approve of a nascent plan to lease the city's parking to a private operator." Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and other arena supporters are "counting on such a parking lease to raise about half the money needed" for the $387M arena. The "unexpectedly close vote left many of those involved wondering whether there would be support on the council for a parking lease, or whether it would become a politically radioactive issue for a council entering an election season." A June vote on Sheedy's ballot measure "would have come after a March 1 deadline imposed by the NBA for Sacramento to devise a plan for a new arena, or risk losing the Kings." Arena supporters said that it also "would have shown the league there is limited support for the project at City Hall." Bizjak & Kasler note it is "unclear what message -- if any -- Tuesday's vote sent to the NBA" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 2/9). In L.A., Lance Pugmire notes a Sacramento task force is prepared to unveil its plan for a downtown railyard arena project "to the city council Tuesday, hoping the council will ultimately approve the plan at its Feb. 28 meeting" (L.A. TIMES, 2/9).

Several ballparks have "elaborate props" to celebrate home runs, but MLB "hasn't seen anything like the device that is scheduled to be tested soon" at Marlins Park, according to Joe Capozzi of the PALM BEACH POST. Rising 73 feet over center field at its highest point, the Marlins' home run celebration stars a marlin "jumping in and out of the 'water' on a metal track that runs along the border" of the mechanical sculpture created by multimedia artist Red Grooms. Another marlin "twirls and spins while seagulls fly over the sculpture in a colorful shower of laser lights." Grooms said that in designing the sculpture, he "focused immediately on the image of a marlin jumping out of water as the logical way to celebrate a Marlins home run." He "sprinkled in flamingos, birds and palm trees to represent South Florida," and arranged it all around "four rising arches meant to pay homage to the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach." The event "lasts about 27 seconds, roughly the time it takes" to run the bases following a home run. Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria said, "All I can tell you is it's going to be the most amusing home run feature in all of baseball. There's motion, there's light, there's sound, there's water, all under the cover of great humor and fun." However, Capozzi notes an "animated rendition of the sculpture has been generating critical humor on the internet." SI referred to the sculpture as a "mechanical monstrosity." Other web comments "range from 'an embarrassment' and 'tacky' to something better suited for Las Vegas." But Grooms and his designers said that the animation "was based on early sketches ... and it does not accurately portray what the final piece will look like." Minneapolis-based Uni-Systems Project Manager Chris Morgan, whose company built the statue's operating mechanisms, said the animation "just doesn't do it justice. It's hard to appreciate the presence of the thing until you see the structure in the stadium. When it goes in, it's going to be neat" (PALM BEACH POST, 2/9).