The $180M Pepsi Center opens on Friday, and in Denver,
Peter Chronis called the facility "magnificent." Chronis:
"It's definitely upscale, and will be a jewel in the crown
of the Central Platte Valley." Granite, marble and ceramic
tiles "abound at the facility, both underfoot and on walls."
There are "grand entryways, extra-wide concourses, sweeping
stairways ... and works of art" (DENVER POST, 9/26). Pepsi
Center GM Tim Romani, comparing the facility to L.A.'s $400M
Staples Center: "I would say our building is better, and we
spent less than half what they spent" (DENVER POST, 9/26).
MAKING IT FIT IN: HOK Sports Senior VP Chris Carver,
the principal-in-charge of design of the Pepsi Center, said
the "big challenge was to try to tie the building to
Denver." The Pepsi Center's site "wasn't an urban site. It
wasn't a suburban site. There was no real intensity. The
biggest challenge was to create a sense of place" (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 9/26). Carver: "We tried to make the Pepsi
arena relate uniquely to Denver's historic past and dynamic
present. Were you to pick it up and put it somewhere else,
it wouldn't make much design sense" (DENVER POST, 9/26).
GO WEST, YOUNG BUSINESSMAN: The US West Business Center
at the Pepsi Center consists of four rooms totaling "about
3,500-square-feet" located on the club level. The facility
can "handle parties, wedding receptions and other social
events" and features high-speed Internet access and an
advanced audio/visual system. Kiosks for personal-computer
users are also available. Costs to rent the facility range
from under $500 for a three-hour party to $3,000 or more for
a full-day meeting. Prices don't include catered
food/beverages or event tickets (DENVER POST, 9/26).
