With "little warning and no public notice," the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority voted Thursday afternoon to "shut down" the 34-year-old state-owned Izod Center, according to a front-page piece by Ted Sherman of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. The NJSEA cited $8.5M in losses and "mounting state subsidies" for the decision to shut down the arena by the end of the month. The "remaining few events" on Izod Center's schedule -- including Chris Brown and Trey Songz in February and the Maroon 5 World Tour in March -- will be shifted to the Prudential Center in Newark, eight miles away. Officials said that the Izod Center’s "continuing losses left them no choice but to temporarily shut down the facility." In its agreement with Prudential, the state "will keep the arena dark for at least two years," receiving $2M in compensation for the added events. Izod Center's "last scheduled act will be Monster Jam, on Jan 31" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/16). In New Jersey, John Brennan in a front-page piece notes the arena will be shuttered until at least January '17, "about the time" the American Dream Meadowlands project is expected to open. Several NJSEA BOD members said that they "expected the arena to open again in a new form at that time, although the ultimate fate of the site was not decided Thursday" (Bergen RECORD, 1/16). In N.Y., Charles Bagli notes the decision to shutter the arena "upset and surprised local officials and hotel operators who had booked rooms for events at the Izod Center." But the closing "will be a boon" for Prudential Center, the home of the Devils (N.Y. TIMES, 1/16). In Newark, Naomi Mix notes city leaders "praised the state's decision ... as a welcome opportunity to boost the economy of the state's largest city." Newark Councilmember Anibal Ramos in a statement said, "This is a long time coming. It never made sense to keep open an outdated arena that is less than 10 miles away from the City of Newark and the Prudential Center" (NJ.com, 1/15).
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: In Newark, Steve Politi writes under the header, "Izod Center Was A Dump, But It Was Home To So Many Memories." Politi: "I couldn't wait to get out of the place." The arena had "cavernous sound-eating space and endless purple seats and if you had to use the restroom during the intermission of a hockey game, or wanted a beer or a burger, well, good luck with that." But there were "some undeniably good days." Politi: "If you grew up in Northern New Jersey like I did, the building almost certainly shaped your memories" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/16).
