In Baltimore, Amanda Yeager noted the Ravens will "begin a round of upgrades" to some M&T Bank Stadium luxury suites in mid-January, as well as to north and south club level spaces. The work is projected to cost $23.8M and marks the final phase of a $120M renovation project announced in '17. The team will pay $8M to "renovate 70 of the stadium's 133 suites," while club-level renovations will cost $15.8M. Work is slated to begin Jan. 16, though the "timing could change if the Ravens advance in the playoffs and need to host another game at home." Construction "will be done" in time for the '19 NFL season (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/3).
RETURN TO ME: In Louisville, Marty Finley noted Churchill Downs Racetrack hosted the Breeders' Cup for the first time since '11 in November, and track CEO Bill Carstanjen "already is hoping for its return." He "hopes Louisville will be called during the next round," as the soonest the Breeders' Cup could return is '22. Carstanjen described the event as a "labor of love that celebrates the industry but also gives the track a chance to showcase itself to a different audience" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/4).
HOME SWEET HOME: On Long Island, Mark Herrmann notes the Islanders have "five straight wins and eight in nine games," but the "oldest figure is the real star" of the team's recent run. The renovated Nassau Coliseum is "buzzing and jumping again" with the Isles playing a select number of games there this season. There is "no venue remotely like it in pro sports," as the partial move "back to the Isles’ ancestral home has been more than a shot in the arm" (NEWSDAY, 1/4).
