Featured image credit: Spectrum Center
Work has commenced on a major renovation of Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
An event was held yesterday (Monday) to celebrate the official start of ‘Re!magine Spectrum Center’, which will see upgrades carried out at the arena over the next two years.
Members of Hornets Sports & Entertainment’s ownership group, as well as HSE executives, were in attendance, along with representatives from the City of Charlotte, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, construction companies Turner and DA Everett, architect Perkins + Will, consultant CAA Icon, and concessions partner Levy.
The Hornets released renderings of the proposed revamp back in January. It came after the City of Charlotte in June 2022 voted to approve $173m (£136m/€159m) in renovations, plus additional upgrades worth $42m, in a deal that will see the Hornets remain at the city-owned facility until 2045.
The upgrades will include more gathering spaces, modifications to better support crowd flow, and a revamped main concourse that will include four themed destinations for fans.
An additional 2,500 lower-level seats will be added in 2025, with all seats throughout the bowl to also be replaced. Improvements will also be made to concourse lighting, signage and concession locations on the Uptown Concourse, while the Dr Pepper Pavilion and The Nest will be redesigned this year.
Donna Julian, Hornets executive vice-president and Spectrum Center general manager, said: “This building is truly special to each and every person that walks through its doors, and I’m so excited for the future that Re!magine Spectrum Center will deliver.
“The renovations we will make over the next two years will allow us to draw even more top-tier events and have an even greater impact on our community by bringing more guests uptown to Uptown Charlotte.”
The Hornets’ previous deal at the arena, which opened in 2005, had been due to expire in 2030. The wider renovation project also includes the construction of a new training facility for the team.
Spectrum Center will be closed from May to September in both 2024 and 2025 to accommodate the renovations. The arena will reopen this year with an Aerosmith concert on October 2.
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