$290M renovation of Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre underway, concerts to take stage next year
Not-yet-named NBA player from Hamilton is a big investor in project, says developer

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...tion-1.7292361

Hamilton's revamped FirstOntario Centre will reopen in just over a year, with major events already being booked for late 2025, says one of the developers.

The $290-million renovation project is on schedule and on budget, and has attracted a slew of investors, Tom Pistore, Oak View Group Canada president, told councillors at a general issues committee meeting Monday.

The Oak View Group is developing the arena along with the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group.

"We feel enthusiastic," Pistore said.

Demolition is underway. Then, the arena will get a makeover to include enhanced acoustics, improved sight lines, expanded concession areas and premium seating options, says a city staff report.

The project is being backed by at least one big-name investor, said Pistore.

The investor hasn't been officially announced yet, but Pistore gave hints: He's from Hamilton, is an MVP candidate in the NBA and just returned from the Olympics.

"I will let you glean who that might be," said Pistore. "He is absolutely excited to be part of the project as well."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes to mind. He was an integral part of Canada's men's basketball team in Paris, currently plays with Oklahoma City's Thunder and grew up in Hamilton.

The arena will also include a restaurant, open to the public, by a Canadian "global icon" to be announced soon, said Pistore.

Concerts in high demand

Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who represents the downtown ward, noted that for years, Hamilton has been overshadowed by Toronto when it comes to attracting tours.

That will no longer be a problem, said Pistore.

There's currently a huge demand in southern Ontario for concerts and not enough Toronto venues to keep up, he said.

The Hamilton arena will serve as a "relief valve" — booking popular acts for the west Greater Toronto Area (GTA) audience, Pistore said.

The same group of developers will be renovating the Hamilton Convention Centre, a $10-million project to be finished late next year, the staff report says.

The ballrooms and kitchen will be upgraded, and there will be improvements to the building's structural and mechanical components. Convention centre programming will continue throughout the renovations.

That would be cool if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became an owner. Maybe he would own a CEBL team.

Some pics from a Spec story today (and confirmation that the "Hamilton arena" will sport a new corporate name). Also notes some design details, like how the private box situation is planned to change, and that things are still on-time for a late-2025 completion and still meeting the $280M budget.


A first glimpse at the inside of the downtown arena renos
By Scott Radley
The Hamilton Spectator
Sept. 16, 2024

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...2161a7c9b.html

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C395

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C500

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C500

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C462

Video:
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...f8fb.video.mp4


The seats are all out. The private boxes are gone. The stairs you’d use to exit from the concourse onto York Boulevard are no more. The scoreboard is wrapped in plastic. And finishings have been removed from every corner of the place.

Four months after renovations began at the building formerly known as FirstOntario Centre (we’ll get to what that means in a second), the place looks like you’ve never seen it before.

“For people who see the outside facade and think nothing’s happening,” says Oak View Group vice-president of communications Teri Washington, “it is.”

...

Had you ever taken the escalator near the box office to the lower level, you’d be aware of the huge open space that typically was used for not very much. It’s now going to be the main concession area for those in the lower bowl.

“This all used to be storage,” Young says. “This will all be a new concourse.”

There will be a number of clubs down there as well. Plus 10 unique private boxes running the length of the arena (this means the arena’s unique retractable seats that allowed the floor to be expanded for certain events will be no more) to go along with 10 suites higher up on the old concourse that’ll be on the other side.

The stage will remain at the east end where it’s always been. But it’ll now be cut into the stands which will set it back and allow for more seats during a concert. Roughly 15,000 for a typical show. During a sports event, those will be filled with new retractable seats that’ll complete the bowl.

One other major change comes with the modernization of a 40-year-old arena that was built for life in the 1980s.

“One of the things we do now that, quite frankly, didn’t even exist then was the technology infrastructure,” Young says. “This building basically had none.”

In order to have good WiFi, solid cell service, tap-and-go pay systems, modern HVAC and smoke systems, and other things, a ton of adjustments and additions are required.

Does all the endless concrete make that a challenge?

“It does,” Young says. “Concrete and cell service doesn’t go together.”

...

What’s most striking is how open the building feels with the suites around the concourse gone. There’s so much more light inside as a result. We’ll see if that remains once everything is done. But even beyond all the other stuff, it’s made the Hamilton Arena feel so different.

Yes, the Hamilton Arena. Throughout the tour, those involved continually called it that. We’ve heard that name used here and there for a while now rather than the name we’ve known it as for a decade. It’s on the construction helmets and the OVG website and other official items.

Is that significant?

“We are actively talking to several sponsors,” says Oak View Group Canada president Tom Pistore, who says an announcement should be coming by March.

Does that mean the place will soon have a new name?

“Yes.”

Just when you finally got used to calling it FirstOntario Centre instead of Copps …

"and confirmation that the "Hamilton arena" will sport a new corporate name"

I wonder if they could get a bank or telecom, compared to Tim Horton's. I doubt First Ontario is in the running again.

"OVG is in conversations with the American Hockey League about a new team in Hamilton, with an announcement expected early next year, Pistore said."

That's interesting.

Seems like we're just alternating between having an OHL and AHL team.
I think we've had 6 OHL teams and this will be our 3rd AHL team.

When you're a city of over half a million people and theres no chance in hell you'll ever get an NHL team, I guess thats the way it goes.

I'm excited to get AHL back. OHL didn't do anything for me the couple times I went.

I could give or take the AHL or the OHL. Anything less than the AHL is an afterthought to me. And the real money/crowds will hopefully come from the big-name concerts.

If it is an AHL team, then I hope it is not the Marlies. Hamilton is already being thought of as a bedroom community and being the farm city for the Leafs would not help with that perception.

It's bad enough that the TORONTO Rock are playing in Hamilton.. I'm still bitter that name wasn't changed.

Agreed, when it happed I saw the name and went "welp, guess they don't need my support" :shrug:

I did go to once game, I have a freind whose stepdad plays for Georgia, so a bunch of us went to watch him and cheer against Toronto. It was actually quite a fun time.

I liked OHL better than AHL, but it was mostly because of the switch to Black and Gold - I don't watch much hockey at all, and probably only went to two games of each version of the Bulldogs. I guess familiarity with the other teams as well - I know mot of them, and would actually care about beating Kitchener or London. I don't actually know any AHL teams off the top of my head.

Hopefully they change the name, but I wouldn't count on it. Similarly, I bet the renovated arena is marketed as "Toronto" for major concerts.

Those of us from here know Hamilton is an independent place that's still far out on the "fringe" of the Toronto sphere of influence, though more and more our city is falling into orbit. Someone coming from farther away won't have a clue about this stuff, certainly not if from many parts of the US... "Hamilton? The musical? Then why is there a rock concert happening??" ;)

It'll probably be the Marlies.

The Marlies are lost in Toronto as they get 0 attention in the media market which is dominated by the Leafs. They would probably do better in Hamilton and would remain close enough for day-of call-ups if needed, which is why they were relocated to Toronto from St John's in the first place.

The Marlies making a move here makes a lot of sense.

Despite many Canadiens fans in the city (I've come across lots of Bruins fans too) this is Leafs Country.

Depends what was meant by "new team" too... brand new, or relocated/"new to Hamilton"? And if it does turn out to be the Marlies, I think it'll be even more important that they're re-branded. Despite the local Leafs' fanbase keeping the old name would stick in the craw of many Hamilton hockey-viewers.

Hopefully we get basketball and women's hockey too, though it can't happen at the cost of eating into available concert nights.

The Marlies averaged 5900 fans a game last year in Toronto, which is more than Hamilton AHL teams have historically drawn. And they are closer in Toronto to the home club and its trainers, practice facilities, et cetera.

The arena is way too big for both the CEBL and the PWHL, though both have admittedly drawn big arena-sized crowds at various points recently. And it is probably also too big for the AHL. Maybe whatever curtaining-type of setup they use will make the setting more intimate

Yes, too big for all but the biggest games in smaller leagues.

I was under the impression they were aiming to use some kind of panelling to close off the lower bowl, rather than fabric.

More interior pics via The Spec. Photos courtesy of Cathie Coward.

"Renovations continue at Hamilton’s downtown arena that’s scheduled to re-open sometime later this year. A view of the former playing surface.":
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...ize=1476%2C698

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=750%2C500

"A new street-level concourse is being created from space previously used for storage that runs nearly all the way around the downtown arena.":
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=990%2C696

"The former staircase leading onto York Boulevard has been mostly removed and replaced with a concrete floor that will eventually be part of a restaurant.":
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=990%2C671

"New floor-level private boxes shot from behind (in what had been largely unused space in the basement of the arena) looking into the arena. The 10 suites will each hold up to 16 people.":
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...size=990%2C699

Video: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...a49c.video.mp4

Andrea Bocelli to perform on Dec 9th, only Canadian show announced as part of a late-year 2025 tour.

https://www.thespec.com/entertainmen...66c0e45f6.html