A half-year after we last flew by, the future home of the Los Angeles Clippers continues to take shape in Inglewood.

Aerial view of Intuit Dome looking southeastHunter Kerhart Architectural Photography

Work is now underway on the rooftop canopy and glass exterior of Intuit Dome, the $1.2-billion arena now taking shape at the southeast corner of Prairie Avenue and Century Boulevard. The 18,000-seat arena, the centerpiece of a larger 28-acre development, is named as part of a 23-year naming rights agreement with TurboTax and Credit Karma maker Intuit, Inc. Other components of the project include:

  • an 85,000-square-foot practice and athletic training facility;
  • 71,000 square feet of office space for the Clippers organization;
  • a 25,000-square-foot sports medicine clinic;
  • 63,000 square feet of ancillary retail;
  • a public plaza featuring a large LED screen, a concert stage, and basketball courts;
  • a 150-room hotel; and
  • parking for 4,125 vehicles.

AECOM is designing the arena, which stands approximately 150 feet in height and has  an elliptical footprint. Renderings of the finished product show a grid-like exterior, resembling a basketball net, with numerous carve-outs used to create open-air decks on the upper levels of the arena.

Aerial view of the Intuit DomeLos Angeles Clippers

Intuit Dome is set to open in time for the 2024-2025 NBA season.

The project is the product of a contentious political and legal battle which commenced in in 2017, when the Clippers and the City of Inglewood announce plans for the arena. Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), the concert and entertainment company which converted the nearby Kia Forum into a live events venue 10 years ago, had previously controlled the arena site under a ground lease, and alleged that Inglewood Mayor James Butts had deceived them into forfeiting their leasehold to facilitate the development of an office park. The dispute was eventually resolved when Clippers owner Steve Ballmer purchased the Forum for $400 million.

The project follows on the heels of the larger sports and entertainment district built to the north around SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, and the most expensive stadium ever built at a cost of $5 billion. That development, built on the site of the former Hollywood Park race track, also includes housing, offices, retail, a hotel, and park space on nearly 300 acres of land.

Plaza at the Intuit DomeLos Angeles Clippers

Inglewood officials hope to connect the new developments to Metro's Crenshaw/LAX Line through the construction of an automated people mover system. The 1.6-mile elevated transit system would cost more than $1 billion to complete, and is currently expected to begin service in 2027.

As the Clippers prepare to depart for Inglewood, AEG, the team's current landlord at Crytpo.com Arena, has announced plans to overhaul its own facilities. The reported "nine-figure" plan will refresh the more than 20-year-old venue, which will still remain the home of the Lakers and L.A. Kings.

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