PPG Paints Arena major upgrades plans

Article posted by Coliseum, March 15^th, 2023

Image: PPG Paints Arena (Facebook)

The National Hockey League (NHL) team Pittsburgh Penguins, in partnership with OVG360 management, unveiled plans recently for over $30 million of investments and upgrades to their residence – the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, US.

‘NHL’ stated that highlighting the team’s plans are the addition of two new bunker suites at the ice level and an all-inclusive VIP event-level club to provide premium experiences for hockey fans and concert guests.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, US. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have played their home games at the PPG Paints Arena, originally known as the Consol Energy Center, since 2010.

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The 18,187-capacity PPG Paints Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh (US) that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The OVG 360, a division of the Oak View Group (OVG), is a full-service venue management company that is making a positive disruption in the live entertainment and hospitality industry.

‘NHL’ further stated that the celebrated design studio Populous, the original architects of PPG Paints Arena, designed the plans, which are being implemented this Summer by the Penguins and OVG360, the arena’s management company. Construction is set to begin during the off-season and fans can expect to be able to enjoy the new spaces and upgrades for the start of the 2023-2024 NHL seasons tentatively starting early or mid-October and will end mid-April.

New York City (US)-based the National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams – 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top-ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

Commented Kevin Acklin, Penguins President of Business Operations, “We are committed to maintaining the PPG Paints Arena as a world-class destination not only for Penguins hockey, but for concerts and marquee events. We are investing millions to replace our entire in-game entertainment technology, as well as building exciting new premium spaces, to offer immersive experiences for our fans and guests that will be truly unique to our Pittsburgh market.”

The team plans to build two additional bunker suites next to the Penguins’ runway and bench adjacent to the Suite 66, the existing premium space honoring Hall-of-Famer and hockey legend Mario Lemieux. These improvements will offer premium lower-bowl seating, as well as dining and entertainment space, full-service bars and private restrooms. All three suites will have an exclusive view of the areas outside of the Penguins’ locker room on the event level.

In addition, the team is building a new all-inclusive VIP event level club located in the Penguins’ double-attack zone, with access to Section 109 for hockey games and special premium seating next to the stage for concerts. The new club can accommodate up to 300 people, and converts underutilized areas of the PPG Paints Arena into a large high-quality VIP event club.

Capping off the planned arena improvements is the investment to upgrade the entire in-game entertainment technology system at the PPG Paints Arena. These improvements include a new 50-foot by 33-foot state-of-the-art center hung scoreboard, about twice as large as the existing scoreboard, new LED ribbon boards, sound system, control room, and content management system. These improvements include financial support from the arena owner – the Sports and Exhibition Authority – and are targeted to enhance the overall fan experience.

The Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are a municipal authority that owns and operates public sports and entertainment venues in the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh.

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