Post by Logan on Feb 3, 2016 1:51:40 GMT -6
A scaled down list of priority projects aimed at reinvigorating an under-performing Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial could cost taxpayers more than $16 million, according to a consultant report released this week.
The expense is significantly more than the city discussed when seeking state assistance over the past year, but roughly half the all-encompassing wish-list laid out in a previous assessment of the arena.
Among the priority items: a courtside restaurant with tiered seating, updated suites, modernized concessions and bathrooms, and a more dynamic lobby. The payoff would be a significant boost to the arena's profile, according to Chicago-based C.H. Johnson Consulting, and an added impact on the local economy of nearly $9 million annually.
"Especially now that Buffalo has a larger and newer arena, Rochester runs the risk of being passed over for major shows, concerts and special arena events," the report states, adding that "keeping Blue Cross Arena new and attractive is important for Rochester to maintain relevancy within the upstate New York arena market."
Read more: www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/02/02/rochester-eyes-blue-cross-arena-upgrades-manager/79700576/
The expense is significantly more than the city discussed when seeking state assistance over the past year, but roughly half the all-encompassing wish-list laid out in a previous assessment of the arena.
Among the priority items: a courtside restaurant with tiered seating, updated suites, modernized concessions and bathrooms, and a more dynamic lobby. The payoff would be a significant boost to the arena's profile, according to Chicago-based C.H. Johnson Consulting, and an added impact on the local economy of nearly $9 million annually.
"Especially now that Buffalo has a larger and newer arena, Rochester runs the risk of being passed over for major shows, concerts and special arena events," the report states, adding that "keeping Blue Cross Arena new and attractive is important for Rochester to maintain relevancy within the upstate New York arena market."
Read more: www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/02/02/rochester-eyes-blue-cross-arena-upgrades-manager/79700576/