Facility Notes

The Sprint Center opened to the public yesterday. Over 21,000 people came and viewed the facility, with some taking tours of the arena (K.C. STAR, 10/11)....A Mecklenburg County (NC) judge yesterday threw out lawsuits from attorney Jerry Reese, who has "courted the [Marlins]," that challenged land swaps that would result in the Triple-A Int’l League Charlotte Knights building a minor-league baseball stadium in uptown Charlotte (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/11)....The Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District (LSED) took a step toward acquiring the defunct New Orleans Centre when its Board approved $50,000 to use as a refundable deposit toward an option on the property. If Hertz Investment Group accepts the offer, the state would have 180 days to complete a deal. LSED Commissioner Robert Bruno said that he “sees the space being a public gathering spot for sports and entertainment events, similar to Centennial Park in Atlanta and Millennium Park in Chicago” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 10/11).