In Lexington, Beth Musgrave reports the Univ. of Kentucky's Rupp Arena officials are "considering a new overhead center-hanging scoreboard, additional video screens and wireless Internet," in addition to "ribbon advertising boards around the second tier." Lexington Center President & CEO Bill Owen said that center officials "have just started to explore the state-of-the-art additions" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 6/19).
OLD MEETS NEW: In Chicago, Edward Keegan in a review of the redesigned Wrigley Field wrote the new signage and videoboards "will infuriate some purists, but the renovation's architects, Chicago-based VOA Associates, have done a reasonable job making these new-fangled features work within Wrigley's historic setting." The bleachers are the "most startling change and alter the essential character of the ballpark in ways that were missed during the required design scrutiny by the city's Commission on Chicago Landmarks and the National Park Service." The new bleachers and video boards are "designed with the bluntness of a highway with columns and beams that are immense in comparison to their predecessors." Circulation throughout the ballpark "is much better," and the extension of public areas into space to the west of the structure promises a "better visitor experience in coming seasons." The experience in the concourses "is considerably lighter and more appealing," as well (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 6/17).
SPRING IN THEIR STEP: In Arizona, Darrell Jackson reported Peoria Sports Complex, the Spring Training home to the Padres and Mariners, in '15 "hosted a record number of fans" -- 238,847. The complex "raked in nearly" $8M in revenue, which is nearly 37% more than the previous season (PEORIA TIMES, 6/18).
