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Post by mikecubs on Jun 26, 2015 7:01:00 GMT -6
New Hawks owner says arena will need to be remodeled or replacedOn his first full day as principal owner of the Hawks, Tony Ressler said 16-year-old Philips Arena will need to be remodeled or replaced. “There’s do-nothing. There’s remodel. Or there’s a new arena. Do-nothing is not an option,” said Ressler, discussing the arena Thursday afternoon in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With the Braves and Falcons already building new stadiums — both with the assistance of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money — Ressler’s comments made the Hawks the third Atlanta professional sports franchise to express dissatisfaction with its current facility. “It is not a top-quartile arena in America, in the NBA,” he said. Ressler, a Los Angeles-based billionaire who made his fortune in the investment business, leads a 15-person group that completed its purchase of the Hawks and Philips Arena operating rights Wednesday. He stressed Thursday that he had no definitive answers to questions about the arena and many other issues after just 24 hours as owner, but he made it clear that the future of the arena and the need to improve the fan experience at Hawks games are top-of-the-agenda items for the team’s management and ownership. Asked if he is committed to keeping the Hawks downtown, as opposed to considering a possible move to the suburbs, Ressler said it’s “too soon” to say.“I wouldn’t rule out anything,” he said. “I think our job is to see what’s best for the franchise.” He has spoken with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who Ressler described as “unbelievably supportive” and “clearly a fan of wanting the Hawks to be in the city of Atlanta.” “Downtown is incredibly vibrant and exciting over the next 10 years, from what I can tell,” Ressler said. Philips Arena is owned by the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority and operated by the Hawks organization. Reed conceded in an April interview that Philips Arena will need some work. “When you are in Philips Arena, any reasonable person will realize that we are going to have to make some changes to the building to make it more competitive with other arenas around the country,” the mayor said at the time. Major renovations of pro sports arenas, like construction of new stadiums or arenas, typically have involved public dollars. An extensive renovation of Philips Arena undoubtedly would be extremely expensive, especially given the arena’s unique design that stacks all of the suites on one side. Ressler avoided answering when asked what he thinks of that specific design feature.“As an owner for 24 hours,” Ressler said, “ you look at Philips Arena and you say, ‘Is Philips Arena, for a top-10 market and a great franchise, going to be the arena for the next 25 years in this marketplace? Does it stand up after its 16 or 17 years of existence?’ I don’t think it does.
“I think clearly something has to be done to that arena. … We have no idea what the right answer is, truly have no idea. Is it to move? Is it to rebuild there? Is it to remodel?” The Falcons’ new downtown stadium and the Braves’ new Cobb County stadium, both slated to open in 2017, will ramp up the pressure on the Hawks to improve the fan experience in their arena, Ressler suggested. “From what I can tell, the Falcons run a great organization, the Braves run a great organization,” he said. “Both are building new facilities, which makes the bar that much higher for the Hawks. To me, the beneficiary is the fan base.” Ressler was more definitive about another facility project: He said the ownership group is committed to building a new practice facility for the team. “The question is when, not if,” he said. It hasn’t been determined where the practice facility will be built, Ressler said. www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/new-hawks-owner-says-arena-will-need-to-be-remodel/nmmD4/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajcpremium#101b31a9.3481738.735774
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 26, 2015 7:02:11 GMT -6
Atlanta Spirit let the arena go. This from a fan on HF boards
Philips's dilapidated condition is not an excuse. It's reality. There are broken seats/armrests everywhere; bathroom stall doors that are off their hinges; toilets missing seats; burnt-out lightbulbs on the scoreboards; cracked tiling; worn-out paint; signs of unaddressed minor vandalism; outdated technology everywhere you look, especially an entire gigantic wall of 4x3 rear projection non-HDTVs that was impressive by 1999 standards that stopped working somewhere in 2002 and was never removed or repaired; and on and on. These are all basic upkeep expenses that Spirit neglected to address because they intended to pass it along to the next owner.
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Post by mikecubs on Jul 23, 2015 23:38:59 GMT -6
Hawks, Reed discuss Philips Arena rehab; locations for new arenaThe Atlanta Hawks are eyeing three potential locations for a new arena, including the Civic Center, according to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. In addition to the Civic Center, a city-owned property that Reed put up for sale in recent years, the team is also considering an undisclosed Atlanta location and rehabbing Philips Arena, the mayor told reporters on Thursday. Reed said he’s met once with the team’s new owners and repeated his willingness to consider a deal involving the use public funds. The mayor first indicated that option last year in the wake of controversy involving the team’s previous leadership. “What I’m willing to do is come to the table with a plan that makes sense and is fair to the people of Atlanta,” Reed said. “I’m not closed to participating in a reasonable plan to make sure that the Hawks remain in the city and that’s what I expressed in our meeting.” The mayor didn’t elaborate, but said he was “very satisfied” with his interactions with the new ownership group led by billionaire philanthropist Antony Ressler and NBA All-Star Grant Hill. On his first full day as principal owner of the Hawks in June, Ressler told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the 16-year-old Philips Arena would need to be remodeled or replaced. “There’s do-nothing. There’s remodel. Or there’s a new arena,” Ressler said. “Do-nothing is not an option.” www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-reed-discuss-philips-arena-rehab-locations-f/nm5X4/
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Post by mikecubs on Oct 25, 2015 21:37:57 GMT -6
Atlanta may help pay for arena remodel to keep Hawks downtownCity officials and the Atlanta Hawks are discussing a significant overhaul of Philips Arena to keep the team from leaving downtown. Renovation of the 16-year-old arena could cost $150 million to $250 million, Mayor Kasim Reed told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.How much taxpayers might chip in hasn’t been determined. More detailed plans could come forward in the first quarter of next year, Reed said. “We will retrofit Philips. That is the agreement. The discussion is about the number,” Reed said, referring to the total cost of a Philips renovation, not specifically the public amount. The mayor first acknowledged in-depth discussions with the Hawks on Thursday during remarks at a real estate conference in Vinings, a few miles from the Braves’ future home. The Hawks confirmed the talks but declined to discuss the matter further. If a new deal involving public funds is struck to rehab Philips, it’ll be the fourth deal reached since 2013 between a metropolitan Atlanta government and a major league franchise involving public subsidies for a sports facility. The Falcons and Atlanta struck a deal for $200 million in bond financing for the $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cobb County leaders lured the Braves away from Turner Field with an offer of $368 million in public funds for the future SunTrust Park. And Falcons owner Arthur Blank and DeKalb County recently announced a deal for public support for the headquarters and training facility for Blank’s new Major League Soccer franchise, Atlanta United FC. The Hawks’ future at Philips — the team’s home since 1999 — has been in question since June when an ownership group led by billionaire investment guru Antony Ressler acquired the team. Ressler and fellow owner Grant Hill, in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s editorial board at the time, would not rule out moving the Hawks elsewhere in the region. The city’s wrenching loss of the Braves to Cobb County has only contributed to the uncertainty, and Reed has said he was open to discussing a public contribution to keep the Hawks. In an interview, Reed said the Hawks have tapped a design team for the remodeling. The team already has work underway on $2.5 million in significant, but unrelated, upgrades to player areas such as training rooms and lounges. The makeover described by the mayor would be far more substantial. Reed said it will likely include undoing the “wall of suites” on one side of the arena, an element to the stadium that is not in fashion in the NBA.
Luxury boxes typically encircle indoor arenas, and the AJC reported earlier this year that at least one of the groups looking to acquire the Hawks had complained about the arena’s layout and stack of luxury suites.
“I think it will be highly unlikely that you will have the (suite) stack anymore,” Reed said. “Our building is the only building built since that time that did that.”
Reed said a remodel also would involve connecting disjointed corridors for better flow of fans and opening corridors to court.
Such an extensive overhaul would likely require the Hawks to play at least a portion of a season or perhaps longer in another arena, but Reed said such details are among a number of factors still being discussed.The Hawks played games in Georgia Tech’s coliseum and the Georgia Dome when the former Omni was demolished to make way for Philips Arena. Philips Arena opened before the 1999-2000 NBA season and was home to the Hawks and the city’s former NHL franchise, the Thrashers, before the hockey team was sold and moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Philips and surrounding infrastructure upgrades, including parking and streetscape, cost $213 million to build. The stadium was financed by private investment and about $150 million in public bonds, backed by stadium revenues (with any potential shortfalls backstopped by city of Atlanta and Fulton County taxpayers). Rental car taxes paid for infrastructure improvements. The annual debt service of about $11.9 million is supported by operating revenue from the stadium, according to bond documents obtained by the AJC. The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority, which owns Philips, refinanced the $124.5 million in bond debt in 2010. It is scheduled to be paid off in 2028. A message left for AFCRA Executive Director Keisha Lance Bottoms was not immediately returned. The potential funding source for any public portion of the arena overhaul was not immediately known. Though the team has yet to commit to staying at Philips Arena, the work the Hawks currently have underway has suggested the team isn’t leaving. The arena is undergoing significant cosmetic upgrades to the Hawks locker room area, improvements the new ownership feels are necessary to the facility. After purchasing the team in June, Ressler said the arena needed to be remodeled or replaced. “There’s do-nothing. There’s remodel. Or there’s a new arena. Do-nothing is not an option,” Ressler said. Hawks General Manager Wes Wilcox, discussing the Hawks facility upgrades and not a potential full renovation, said Thursday that the owners are “are fully committed to creating a first-class basketball environment in Atlanta.” “As an immediate representation of that commitment, we commenced working on cosmetic updates and redecorating our existing locker room and player area with new identity,” Wilcox said. “We are confident that our players, staff and organization as a whole, feel and realize the magnitude of this change.” Hawks star center Al Horford recently acknowledged that Philips Arena “wasn’t the best facility.” “I’m very happy, very satisfied,” Horford said of the current work being done at the arena. “I think it’s great that the ownership are taking this initiative to make everything better. As players, we really appreciate it. It makes it more enjoyable to come in and work and have more resources here. From a player’s standpoint, this is what we’ve been waiting for.” In other comments Thursday at the event held by real estate publication Bisnow, Reed said that developers are looking at the area around Philips Arena and the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Georgia World Congress Center also plans a luxury hotel on its campus. The pipeline of future development in the city is strong, and Reed said he expects to see plans in the future for $500 million to $1 billion in mixed-use development in the Philips Arena neighborhood.Reed declined to say more about potential development around Philips Arena or identify would-be developers. Last year, former Hawks lead owner Bruce Levenson told the AJC the team was in the early stages of discussing enhancements to the stadium, including potential for an entertainment district in the nearby tangle of railroad tracks and parking lots known as the Gulch.www.myajc.com/news/news/local/atlanta-to-help-pay-for-arena-remodel-to-keep-hawk/nn757/
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Post by mikecubs on Feb 3, 2016 11:40:06 GMT -6
Reed: City could handle $100M-$150M for Philips Arena redoA renovation of Philips Arena, a key component of keeping the Atlanta Hawks in downtown, could be a $200 million to $300 million project, and Mayor Kasim Reed said Monday the public portion of that deal could be as high as $150 million. In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Reed reiterated his stance that he expects to reach a deal to overhaul the downtown arena in the first quarter of this year. He said the total cost and the taxpayer portion of the overhaul hasn’t been fixed, but the city has identified a range of $100 million to $150 million that it could afford to finance.The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority owns Philips Arena and can issue bonds, but a potential deal of this scale will require the city to help “backstop” bond financing, Reed said. “We have not settled on the number, but what we have looked at is our own capacity of what we can comfortably finance,” he said in an hour-long meeting with AJC reporters and the newspaper’s editorial board. “We think that number is between 100 million and 150 million (dollars). “The total project would be anywhere from 200 million to 300 million (dollars),” he said. Reed said the sources of funding haven’t been determined, but rental car taxes are likely to be part and he did not rule out funding from the Westside Tax Allocation District. In October, the AJC first reported talks between the city and the Hawks about a significant arena remodel. At the time, Reed said the overall remodel could cost $150 million to $250 million. While Reed acknowledged then that public funds would be involved, he did not discuss an amount of potential public funds. The renovation would be extensive and involve doing away with the wall of luxury boxes on one side of the arena. Reed has previously said a remodel also would involve connecting disjointed corridors for better flow of fans and opening corridors to the court. Taxpayer funding of stadiums is a polarizing issue, and if a new agreement involving public funds is struck to rehab Philips, it’ll be the fourth deal reached since 2013 between a metropolitan Atlanta government and a major league franchise involving public subsidies for a sports facility. The Falcons and Atlanta struck a deal for $200 million in bond financing for the nearly $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That deal also will involve hundreds of millions more in public money for financing costs, operations and stadium upkeep over 30 years. Cobb County leaders lured the Braves away from Turner Field with an offer of $368 million in public funds for the future SunTrust Park. And the Atlanta United FC franchise will receive public support for their headquarters and training facility in Marietta. The Hawks’ future at Philips — the team’s home since 1999 — has been in question since June when an ownership group led by billionaire investment guru Antony Ressler acquired the team. Ressler and fellow owner Grant Hill, in an interview with the AJC’s editorial board at the time, would not rule out moving the Hawks elsewhere in the region. Philips Arena opened before the 1999-2000 NBA season and was home to the Hawks and the city’s former NHL franchise, the Thrashers, before the hockey team was sold and moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Philips and surrounding infrastructure upgrades, including parking and streetscape, cost $213 million to build. The stadium was financed by private investment and about $150 million in public bonds, backed by stadium revenues (with any potential shortfalls backstopped by city of Atlanta and Fulton County taxpayers). Rental car taxes paid for infrastructure improvements. The annual debt service of about $11.9 million is supported by operating revenue from the stadium, according to bond documents obtained by the AJC. The recreation authority which owns Philips, refinanced the $124.5 million in bond debt in 2010. It is scheduled to be paid off in 2028. www.ajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/reed-city-could-handle-100m-150m-for-philips-arena/nqG24/
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Post by TheDeuce on Feb 3, 2016 11:57:40 GMT -6
It's been a while since I've checked out the Atlanta Constitution-Journal website. Good times, no?
m.
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Post by dalabatta on Mar 6, 2016 11:29:41 GMT -6
phillips arena is nice. who cares about player lounges. did you see what MJ and the Lakers and Celtics had to play in? if players seek that luxury they are too soft and you dont want them as players. trump was right.
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Post by mikecubs on Mar 6, 2016 12:17:55 GMT -6
phillips arena is nice. who cares about player lounges. did you see what MJ and the Lakers and Celtics had to play in? if players seek that luxury they are too soft and you dont want them as players. trump was right. The renovation isn't about what the players want. It's about fixing a bad design and repairing broke stuff. The main thing is the luxury boxes stacked on one side doesn't work. You lose too much $$$ because companies aren't going to pay for luxury boxes in the nosebleeds, they need to be between the upper and lower deck like at every arena. Phillips also needs a ton of repairs(see my post above). Atlanta Spirit totaled the place. Atlanta Spirit having control of an arena is like renting out your house to a college rugby team. It's good that they are doing this or otherwise in another 10 years the team will demand a new arena which will be double the price of a renovation. If teams went with what MJ, the Lakers or Celtics had you'd go under in the modern sports world. Chicago Stadium, Boston Garden, the Forum had 0 luxury boxes,club seats or other modern amenities. I never been to Chicago Stadium or the Forum but I did get to one Celtics game at the old Garden. The place was an uncomfortable dumb. 0 leg room I was literal in pain the whole game. Thankfully the people in front of me left in the 2nd half and I could hang my legs over the seat in front of me. The place should have been condemned.
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Post by mikecubs on Nov 21, 2016 8:19:54 GMT -6
Since it was suggest in the Nordiques thread the NHL was going back to Atlanta Hawks commit to Philips Arena with $192 million renovationAs the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons prepare to move into new stadiums for their respective 2017 seasons, the City of Atlanta announced Tuesday that the Atlanta Hawks will stay at Philips Arena through 2046, but a major facelift is coming. The city approved a $192.5 million renovation of the arena in a joint press conference with the Hawks Tuesday afternoon. According to AJC.com, $142.5 million of that price tag will be funded by the city, and the Hawks will provide the other $50 million. The city’s chunk of money will come mostly from an already-existing rental car tax ($110 million), while $12.5 million will come from the sale of Turner Field to Georgia State University and the remaining $20 million will be paid by expected future land sales, AJC.com also reported. If the Hawks were to leave Philips Arena before 2046, they’ll owe the city $200 million, the report added. The Hawks released renderings of the facelift during the press conference, and it’s clear that the new ownership group was not in love with the “wall of suites” that currently line one side of the arena. Following the renovations, many of those suites will be removed, according to the renderings, but it appears some will be moved to the other sideline. Philips Arena renovation Wider corridors and better sight lines will also be welcomed by fans. (Photo via Atlanta Hawks) It’s also believed that the floor level, built in an oval shape to accommodate hockey, will become more basketball friendly. So for the hockey fans, this is pretty much the final sign that the sport isn’t returning to Atlanta, at least at the pro level.[/u] The arena cost just $213.5 million to build, so you can be sure this’ll be one heck of a facelift. “This is the first stake in the ground in transforming the critical corridor from the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Centennial Olympic Park and across to Five Points and Underground Atlanta,” Mayor Kasim Reed in a press release. “I want to thank Tony Ressler and the Atlanta Hawks’ ownership for committing to this deal that will keep the NBA in our city and help re-imagine downtown for the millions of residents, visitors and tourists who come to Atlanta each year.” (Watch: Beautiful video shows progress at Mercedes-Benz Stadium) The city’s contribution to this project is a far higher percentage than they gave to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. According to Curbed Atlanta, the city pitched in $200 million for the $1.5 billion new home of the Falcons and Atlanta United FC, or 13 percent of the final price. They’ll be paying for 74 percent of the Philips Arena renovations, but then again, the city owns this building. The renovations will begin next summer and are expected to be complete in time for the 2018-19 NBA season, when the franchise will celebrate 50 years in Atlanta, the Hawks said. The team will play at the arena next season, even as the facelift is ongoing. breslanta.com/2016/11/02/philips-arena-renovations/
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Post by mikecubs on Nov 21, 2016 8:32:13 GMT -6
pic of the new bowl. They copy catted Sacramento and Milwaukee's new arena's with the see though window.
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 20, 2017 5:39:11 GMT -6
LEADOFF: Hawks ‘set to begin’ Philips Arena renovation todayThe Atlanta City Council late Monday voted to approve the deal to renovate Philips Arena, and the Hawks will waste no time getting started. Asked when the work will begin, Hawks spokesman Garin Narain responded Monday night: “Construction is set to begin tomorrow.” Philips Arena hosted its final event until next basketball season Saturday and will be closed for approximately the next four months for the first phase of renovations. The arena, which typically hosts about 170 events per year, is slated to reopen in time for the start of the Hawks’ 2017-18 regular-season home schedule. The NBA hasn’t announced the schedule yet. The $192.5 million remaking of the 18-year-old arena will be spread over two Hawks off-seasons, ultimately resulting in an array of new amenities, improved basketball sight-lines, connected concourses and, perhaps most notably, removal of the wall of suites on one side of the building. The first phase, to be completed in October, will include the renovation of about 10,000 square feet of premium club spaces and the demolition of about 100,000 square feet of interior space, according to the Hawks’ building-permit application. A 46-page memorandum of understanding spells out the terms of the deal to renovate the arena. Among the provisions of the MOU: Public dollars will fund $142.5 million of the renovation cost, mostly from car rental taxes collected at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The Hawks will be responsible for $50 million. A facility-admissions surcharge of $3 will be tacked on to the cost of tickets for all events in the arena and will go, in part, toward funding traffic management and future capital repairs and replacements. The Hawks organization will be responsible for any cost overruns. The Hawks will enter into a non-relocation agreement obligating the team to play in the arena through June 30, 2046. If the team relocates before then, it would have to pay damages of $200 million, plus the balance on the arena’s bonds.The City of Atlanta commits to “use commercially reasonable best efforts to facilitate the redevelopment of the area adjacent to the arena, an area currently referred to as the ‘Gulch.’” The Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority will continue to own the arena. Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said in a statement that the City Council’s vote Monday “shows the enthusiasm we all have for making Philips Arena and its surrounding areas a sports and entertainment destination for residents and visitors alike.” T he renovations are slated for completion at the start of the 2018-19 season, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Hawks’ move to Atlanta. www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/leadoff-hawks-set-begin-philips-arena-renovation-today/x2Jf0WcLDfuzUtk1kLanBP/
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 20, 2017 5:42:03 GMT -6
Besides the car rental tax another $50M is coming from the sale of the Braves former ballpark to a Georgia State. They are converting the park into a college football stadium.
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Post by Tim on Jun 20, 2017 12:23:54 GMT -6
They won't get a 3rd kick at the cat, who cares!
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Post by mikecubs on Jun 20, 2017 14:29:41 GMT -6
Given how pro south Bettman is IF(a big if) a local Atlanta owner wanted another crack he'd give it to them.
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Post by rainmanrh on Jun 20, 2017 16:14:46 GMT -6
I can't see this ever happening.
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