Staples Center and
Wells Fargo Center, two of the busiest arenas in North America, are undergoing major suite renovations this summer.
In Philadelphia, Comcast Spectacor’s project piggybacks on the Democratic National Convention, set for July 25-28 at Wells Fargo Center.
Starting late this month, the arena will shut down for two months for a retrofit tied to the convention that includes the conversion of 40 sideline suites to broadcast platforms for television networks.
After the convention, those suites will already be in construction mode, providing a head start on a refresh of all 126 suites in the facility at a cost of $15 million to $20 million, said John Page, president of the Wells Fargo Center complex.
 |
A preview of how suites will look after
renovations is set up in Wells Fargo Center.
Photo by: COMCAST SPECTACOR
|
The Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the DNC will not be required to restore those suites as they were before the event, typically the case when political conventions take over major league arenas.
“They’ll save some money and so will we,” Page said. “There’s a lot of mutual benefit.”
Apart from the suites used for convention purposes, work will start on renovating 42 additional suites after the arena closes later this month.
Those 82 suites total must be renovated on deadline because they have been sold for Adele concerts booked for Sept. 9 and 10, Page said. The arena’s remaining 44 suites, distributed on the club level and balcony level, will be renovated later.
The suite reconfigurations will include new floors, ceilings and serving areas, Page said. The project cost extends to a few hundred additional seats in the first six rows of the lower bowl to be installed after the convention.
Stadium Consultants International, a subsidiary of Brisbin Brook Beynon in Toronto, is designing the upgrades.
> L.A. LIFE: At Staples Center, mobility is the theme behind AEG’s $5 million makeover of the venue’s 150 private suites and 18 event rental suites.
The new design, a combination of carbon fiber and stainless steel materials, calls to mind the colors and textures of cars and cellphones, which play an integral role in the lives of Southern Californians, said project architect Dan Meis, among the arena’s original designers.
New bar tables, serving as the centerpiece of the rooms, will allow patrons to eat, drink and stay connected to their mobile devices through USB chargers. Feedback from surveys and focus groups informed AEG officials that the old couch-and-chair setup was outdated and in need of a modern look conducive to a shared experience, Staples Center President Lee Zeidman said.
Coat closets at the backs of the suites will be converted into wet bars with coffeemakers on top and pull-out recycling bins below, Zeidman said.
Outside the suites, food stands will be upgraded on all three suite levels with new menus and equipment.
Levy Restaurants, Staples Center’s concessionaire, is searching for a new vice president of food and beverage to replace Bill Ginsburg, who recently left the company. The renovations should be completed by Sept. 1, Zeidman said.
> ON THE MOVE: Joshua Boren, formerly with Meis Architects, is working for RCLCO Real Estate Advisors as its head of business development and marketing strategy. The company helps teams with mixed-use developments anchored by sports facilities.
The firm is part of HKS’s team recently selected by St. Petersburg, Fla., to form a two-part master plan for the 85 acres surrounding Tropicana Field, which includes both a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays and other uses for the property should the Rays build elsewhere.
Don Muret can be reached at dmuret@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @breakground.
