Huge steps of progress were made in the plan to build a new entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday, as the Sacramento City Council approved David Taylor and ICON Group as developers of the project and gave the thumbs up on a proposal to outlay some cash for top-flight consultants to pull together the funding mechanisms.

The movement came with the backdrop of ongoing talks with major arena operator AEG, about whom Mayor Kevin Johnson expressed great optimism earlier Tuesday.

Taylor and ICON can now move forward with putting together formal plans for the slice of the Railyards site that the arena has been proposed for. Similarly, consultants on issues such as the privatization of the city's parking facilities, financing options and more.

The next dominoes: a tentative deal between Taylor, the city and AEG, a report on how much the city can net from parking privatization and please, for the love of God Shammgod, an end to the NBA lockout.