In her remarks Monday, Kim talked about how hard it was to leave Baylor, but she didn’t go out of her way to thank Linda Livingstone, Baylor’s president, or the athletic director, Mack Rhoades. They’re the heart of a “new administration” Kim referenced when she said the old guard had promised a new basketball arena would be on built on campus. Kim said she was “absolutely” in favor of such a plan, citing the advantages of a campus-based facility. But when the pandemic and budget cuts put everything on hold, any so-called promises went out the window. A site owned by the city on the Brazos, closer to downtown with tantalizing opportunities for development, suddenly became a viable alternative. A recommendation from Baylor officials is expected in the next month or so to the board of regents, which will make the final call. But a site looming as a civic economic engine seems the way to bet.
