Three new premium clubs have been built, as well as new restaurants and even a barber shop
The Hawks' renovated State Farm Arena was unveiled "to the public with an open-house party Saturday," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. Around 10,000 people attended the event, which "included a 10-minute ceremony at center court, capped by a pyrotechnics display, and several hours for fans to tour the building." Hawks Principal Owner & Chair Tony Ressler said, "It’s a $200 million new building, as far as I’m concerned." Tucker reported the six-story stack of suites on one side of the court has been "replaced with two levels of reimagined suites, new upper-deck seating and party space featuring Topgolf simulators." On the other side of the court, "substantial structural work allowed the creation of a unique premium space called Atlanta Social, which is outfitted with plush chairs, couches and cabanas." Video boards have "multiplied, with large new screens in each corner and a massive new center-hung board above the court." Three new premium clubs have been built, as well as "new restaurants, new concession stands and even a barber shop." The arena is now a "more connected, more open, more interesting building." Hawks CEO Steve Koonin: "The old days of going to a game and getting a seat, a hot dog, a beer, a Coke, and sitting for three hours -- that doesn’t exist anymore. And so we (incorporated) a lot of entertainment, a lot of interactivity, a tremendous amount of social spaces about networking and communicating." Tucker noted the number of suites was "reduced from 90 to 40 because the Hawks previously had more than they could sell." However, the number of premium seats "stayed roughly the same at 3,800." Total seating capacity for basketball "will be about 16,600 this season, down from 18,047 before renovations began" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 10/21).
