Forty Under 40

Photo by: ANGELA CRANFORD / MSG PHOTOS

It is a juggling act in-season, when construction crews arrive at midnight after the lights go dark in the bowl and work through midafternoon the next day before the doors open for Knicks and Rangers games and other events at one of the world’s busiest arenas. No sweat, considering Diaz has played a key role in facility operations at a half-dozen pro and college facilities over the past 16 years.

In the late 1990s, Diaz crammed in a ton of experience as an event manager with Contemporary Services Corp., a crowd management firm. Stationed in South Florida, Diaz worked a World Series, Super Bowl and BCS championship game within a three-year period at Sun Life Stadium.

MSG executives first came across Diaz several years ago during a tour of AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. At the time, Diaz was general manager of the NBA facility, a position he attained at age 30. The MSG crew was impressed with Diaz’s knowledge of the business during their visit, recalled Steve Collins, the Garden’s executive vice president of facilities.

In 2006, the New Jersey Nets hired Diaz to lead their effort to develop Barclays Center, the team’s new $1 billion arena in Brooklyn. He also served as the team’s liaison to Izod Center and Prudential Center, where the Nets have been tenants.

During his five years with the Nets, Diaz experienced the ups and downs connected to building New York’s first major league arena in 40 years. The challenges the team faced with arena financing and neighborhood lawsuits prepared him well for making the crosstown move to MSG.

“It was a slam dunk, almost a no-brainer,” Collins said. “Alex was well-respected in the industry, had run several buildings and was familiar with our market. As a bonus, he had amassed construction experience over the last few years.”

Diaz won’t see Barclays Center through to completion and its opening in September, but there have been no second guesses, he said. Diaz could not pass up the chance to join MSG, one of the most prestigious organizations in sports, and be part of the building’s historic makeover.

Halfway through the Garden’s transformation, “the hardest part is telling people, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Diaz said. “What’s amazing about it is we are not missing any Knicks or Ranger games.”