Major renovation for Sports Arena on the boards.

Government officials are moving forward with plans to launch a major renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

The move is the first solid progress in at least two years of discussions by public agencies and private developers to build a new indoor sports center in Los Angeles.

"The project is going ahead," said Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, the president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, the nine-member panel that oversees operations of the Sports Arena.

Construction of a new indoor sports arena in the greater Los Angeles area or renovation of an existing one has been an ongoing topic of discussion because the two existing facilities, the Sports Arena next to the Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park in Los Angeles and the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, are getting old and outdated.

Teams that use the two arenas -- the Clippers at the sports Arena and the NBA Lakers and National Hockey League Kings at the Forum -- have said they want modern facilities with luxury boxes that generate a lot of revenue.

At least four private developers have floated plans to build new indoor sports arenas, all of them in downtown Los Angeles. What would happen to those private plans with renovation of the Sports Arena remains to be seen.

But, noted commission member Steven Soboroff, renovation of the Sports Arena would not automatically preclude construction of a new facility as well.

In fact, he said, "I wouldn't be surprised if you see both a renovated Sports Arena and a new arena."

According to sources and members of the arena's governing body, tentative plans for the Sports Arena renovation call for seating capacity to be increased from about 15,800 to 20,000, and construction of between 70 and 140 luxury boxes.

Cost estimates range from $80 million to $100 million. The sources and commission members said details of financing have not yet been worked out but a primary source is through the sale of public bonds because the Sports Arena is owned jointly by the city, county and state governments.

If all goes according to plan, renovation work could start next spring at the conclusion of the upcoming professional and college basketball seasons.

Commission members said the last remaining hurdle for the project to move forward is a long-term agreement with the Sports Arena's two primary tenants -- the National Basketball Association Clippers and the USC Trojans basketball team that plays in the Pacific Athletic Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The commission's attorney, Donovan Main, said the agency is now negotiating with the Clippers for a long-term agreement to play in the Sports Arena, which is necessary to get financing for the project.

He said the commission and the Clippers, which are owned by real estate developer Donald Sterling, operate under a year-to-year tenant agreement. The Clippers moved to the Sports Arena 11 years ago from San Diego.

Andy Roeser, executive vice president of the Clippers, confirmed negotiations are under way. But he also said the team is discussing alternatives to playing home games at the Sports Arena, specifically with developers who have proposed building indoor arenas elsewhere in the area.

Officially, members of the commission downplay progress on the project. But unofficially and not for attribution, people on the nine-member body say the project is moving forward and there is growing pressure to act.

"If you bet me $100 that the project isn't going to happen, I would take that bet" that it will, said one commission member who did not want to be identified.

Commission members said the agency has begun the process of putting together financing for the project, and recently received word that a full-scale environment impact report would not be required for the renovation.

The project would not need a environmental study because its existing foundation, which is considered very strong, would remain and because it is a renovation rather than a complete construction project, said commission members.

Commission members said the primary advantage to renovating the Sports Arena rather than waiting for private development is cost.

Jim Dickason, a commission member, said, "Renovation of the Sports Arena to make it a state-of-the-art facility is going to be a lot less expensive than building a new facility. The figures I've heard for those new facilities is like $200 million or $300 million and they have asked for public help. Whether they can get subsidies is problematic."

He said the commission "cannot stand still" on the issue of whether or not to renovate the arena.

Commission members said renovation of the Sports Arena into a modern facility is possible because the building is structurally strong. Under the plan, the roof of the building would be removed and the structure would be extended upward, with all the work being done on the interior as opposed to having to reconstruct the exterior and the foundation.

A key question that remains unanswered, however, is where the Clippers and USC Trojans would play their games if construction goes into the 1995-96 season.