Facility Notes

In Florida, John Denton reported the $380M Orlando Events Center, just five months after an official groundbreaking, is "starting to take shape with some real substance." At the facility, "about 1,500 concrete support pilers have been installed and the columns around the building's lower bowl are springing up in a clockwise fashion." Hunt Construction Resident Construction Manager Steve Laurila: "We believe that we're actually a little ahead of schedule" (FLORIDA TODAY, 12/9)

Delaware North Earns Red Bull Arena Rights, Follows Giants/Jets Stadium Contract

CONCESSION SPEECH: The MLS Red Bulls have selected Delaware North Sportservice to operate concessions and premium dining at their new $200M Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, according to industry sources. The 25,000-seat facility with 30 suites and 1,116 club seats is expected to open in late ‘09. The stadium is Sportservice’s second new big-league account in New Jersey, as the Buffalo-based firm previously signed a long-term contract to manage food operations at the $1.7B Giants/Jets stadium that opens in 2010. Red Bulls spokesperson Andy McGowan could not be reached for comment (Don Muret, SportsBusiness Journal).

COMING TOGETHER: Construction officials yesterday said that a "200-foot-tall construction crane will arrive next week to plant the first giant, steel columns" at the site of the Penguins' new $321M arena. Arena developer P.J. Dick-Hunt Dir of Field Operators Walter Czekaj said that "portions of the arena's concrete floors will be poured by March, and four months of work is expected to begin by May on the 18,087-seat arena's roof" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/10).

SLOW START: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reports the Sports Museum of America (SmA), which opened in May, is "not meeting its attendance targets, has laid off employees and slashed ticket prices, and said last week it would no longer be open Mondays." SmA Founder & CEO Philip Schwalb said that the museum in September "defaulted on the tax-free Liberty Bonds that financed more than half the cost of the $93[M] museum and has since been negotiating a restructured payment schedule" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/10).