Phoenix Area Stadium and Arena News

[DesertRay]

My takeaway from all of this is that the money will be spent to buy fans spiffy new clothes and to install a lot of soft lighting. Am I close?

It looks good, but not nearly as good as a playoff contending team would look.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Was driving around the warehouse district and noticed they are working on the East side of TSRA. They are stripping the columns and the ground has been bulldozed. Tried to get as good of a pic as I could, but I was in a hurry. Glad to see outside renovations taking place.

[biggus diggus]

They are underway on quite a bit. This coming summer is when things will really get into full swing. Some really cool improvements:

1. They're adding a second LED circle just above the B level suites.
2. Big scoreboard/LED screens.
3. Cinema lighting - the seats will be dark and the court will be bright.
4. They're taking out the Annexus club and all the seats in that area and filling it with two bars.
5. 200 level seats are not padded but they will be after renovations.

Some strange things:

1. They are removing the private bathrooms from the suites and they are removing the catering en suite. The model will be community bathrooms and Levy will have a few food outlets on the suite level. This is grossly unappealing. The purpose of buying a suite is to entertain clients and provide them with something special. Going to the busy bathroom on the concourse is not special. Going to a concession stand to buy food is not special. Going to be hard to pay for clients meals with that haphazard system. They're getting ridiculous pushback on this and it might change.

2. They are turning the entire main entrance into a bar/lounge. In addition there will be two bars on the 100 level and another one on the A level. The whole shift here is for Sarver to make more money on food and beverage. They'll also be able to sell non-seated tickets like at United and Staples Centers, this will allow them to sell admission tickets to people who will just end up hanging out in a bar all game - wonder what those people will spend their money on...

There are a lot of very upset suite owners.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

They are underway on quite a bit. This coming summer is when things will really get into full swing. Some really cool improvements:

1. They're adding a second LED circle just above the B level suites.
2. Big scoreboard/LED screens.
3. Cinema lighting - the seats will be dark and the court will be bright.
4. They're taking out the Annexus club and all the seats in that area and filling it with two bars.
5. 200 level seats are not padded but they will be after renovations.

Some strange things:

1. They are removing the private bathrooms from the suites and they are removing the catering en suite. The model will be community bathrooms and Levy will have a few food outlets on the suite level. This is grossly unappealing. The purpose of buying a suite is to entertain clients and provide them with something special. Going to the busy bathroom on the concourse is not special. Going to a concession stand to buy food is not special. Going to be hard to pay for clients meals with that haphazard system. They're getting ridiculous pushback on this and it might change.

2. They are turning the entire main entrance into a bar/lounge. In addition there will be two bars on the 100 level and another one on the A level. The whole shift here is for Sarver to make more money on food and beverage. They'll also be able to sell non-seated tickets like at United and Staples Centers, this will allow them to sell admission tickets to people who will just end up hanging out in a bar all game - wonder what those people will spend their money on...

There are a lot of very upset suite owners.

Id buy bar tickets

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

1. They are removing the private bathrooms from the suites and they are removing the catering en suite. The model will be community bathrooms and Levy will have a few food outlets on the suite level. This is grossly unappealing. The purpose of buying a suite is to entertain clients and provide them with something special. Going to the busy bathroom on the concourse is not special. Going to a concession stand to buy food is not special. Going to be hard to pay for clients meals with that haphazard system. They're getting ridiculous pushback on this and it might change...

There are a lot of very upset suite owners.

That's sort of shocking on the proposed suite renovations. Is the idea that without bathrooms or catering space they can squeeze in a few more suites? Other than that I can't think of any upside to this. I'm with you--having to wait in bathroom lines and trudge down the hall to get food basically eliminates the purpose of having a suite in the first place.

[biggus diggus]

Shocking is one way to put it...

Renewing the suite contract is a hard sell with no catering and no bathrooms. Catering is a bigger deal.

$130K for the suite will turn into (guessing) $150K + for fewer amenities.

[Prestige Worldwide]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

2. They are turning the entire main entrance into a bar/lounge. In addition there will be two bars on the 100 level and another one on the A level. The whole shift here is for Sarver to make more money on food and beverage. They'll also be able to sell non-seated tickets like at United and Staples Centers, this will allow them to sell admission tickets to people who will just end up hanging out in a bar all game - wonder what those people will spend their money on...

There are a lot of very upset suite owners.

I'm curious as to whether the addition of more bars will be successful. I see no incentive to enter the arena an hour early to hang at the bar, especially when the selection is more limited and the prices will be higher than other superior F&B options nearby. I definitely understand that with generational change and tastes there need to be more flex spaces that aren't seats, but wonder how this will pan out financially.

I hope all 6 of the suite owners give 'em hell

[Sunsfan87]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.azc...amp/2663525001

[Tempe_Duck]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

They are underway on quite a bit. This coming summer is when things will really get into full swing. Some really cool improvements:

1. They're adding a second LED circle just above the B level suites.
2. Big scoreboard/LED screens.
3. Cinema lighting - the seats will be dark and the court will be bright.
4. They're taking out the Annexus club and all the seats in that area and filling it with two bars.
5. 200 level seats are not padded but they will be after renovations.

Some strange things:

1. They are removing the private bathrooms from the suites and they are removing the catering en suite. The model will be community bathrooms and Levy will have a few food outlets on the suite level. This is grossly unappealing. The purpose of buying a suite is to entertain clients and provide them with something special. Going to the busy bathroom on the concourse is not special. Going to a concession stand to buy food is not special. Going to be hard to pay for clients meals with that haphazard system. They're getting ridiculous pushback on this and it might change.

2. They are turning the entire main entrance into a bar/lounge. In addition there will be two bars on the 100 level and another one on the A level. The whole shift here is for Sarver to make more money on food and beverage. They'll also be able to sell non-seated tickets like at United and Staples Centers, this will allow them to sell admission tickets to people who will just end up hanging out in a bar all game - wonder what those people will spend their money on...

There are a lot of very upset suite owners.

Do you have a source on this suite info? I'd like to share this, but would like to have a primary source.

[biggus diggus]

I can't throw anyone under the bus, sorry.

[Sunsfan87]

Video of renovation of TSRA. https://www.nba.com/suns/Project201

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by Sunsfan87

Video of renovation of TSRA. https://www.nba.com/suns/Project201

Still looks like very little in the way of outside renovations or will that be tackled after the inside renovations?

[biggus diggus]

No significant changes outside. The exterior has been changed often over the years mostly funded (indirectly) by sponsor dollars.

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

Originally Posted by Sunsfan87

Video of renovation of TSRA. https://www.nba.com/suns/Project201

That was pretty dope. I’m not sure why you’d get floor suites, you can’t even see the game from there,lol.

[N830MH]

Hi all,

Do you remember former DBacks player Mark Reynolds? So now, he is officially retired from baseball.

https://sports.yahoo.com/reynolds-an...220556522.html

[Sunsfan87]

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_DlV7P...=1pvu8yyucergt

TSRA renovation update with video. It’s pretty cool to see!

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Sunsfan87

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_DlV7P...=1pvu8yyucergt

TSRA renovation update with video. It’s pretty cool to see!

Those new seats look pretty nice, even if it’ll be a while until we can sit in them and every other one may have to be empty for a while to maintain separation among fans. I wonder if having everything cancelled offers an opportunity to accelerate the project?

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Those new seats look pretty nice, even if it’ll be a while until we can sit in them and every other one may have to be empty for a while to maintain separation among fans. I wonder if having everything cancelled offers an opportunity to accelerate the project?

By the looks of it, it accelerated the timeline by a month but not enough to get everything completed by the start of 20-2021 season. Guessing the remaining pieces will get started once again in May 2021.

https://arizonasports.com/story/2296...d-coronavirus/

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

By the looks of it, it accelerated the timeline by a month but not enough to get everything completed by the start of 20-2021 season. Guessing the remaining pieces will get started once again in May 2021.

https://arizonasports.com/story/2296...d-coronavirus/

Hopefully not til the end of June 2021 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by TJPHXskyscraperfan

Hopefully not til the end of June 2021 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hahaha that’s why I said May. Have a feeling the drought is going to continue!