Major second phase Crypto.com Arena rejig on

Article posted by Coliseum, June 13^th, 2023

Image: Cypto.com Arena

The second phase of Crypto.com Arena’s (Los Angeles, California, US) multiyear, nine-figure renovation project is underway, with the Arena President Lee Zeidman pointing out that there are only 122 days remaining in which to finish the work before the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) seasons begin in late October.

The Crypto.com Arena is home to the NBA teams Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL team Los Angeles Kings, and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team Los Angeles Sparks.

‘Sports Business Journal’ stated that the venue will not close, with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Los Angeles Sparks games and concerts meaning 54 events will take place while PCL Construction handles the renovation work. Architect firm Gensler and the American architect Dan Meis designed the renovations, which began last year. In this phase, the main changes are eight new premium spaces, a new Press room and sound system and a completely renovated upper concourse.

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The 20,000-capacity Crypto.com Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles (US). The main attraction of the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the 10,000-capacity Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street.

L.A. Live is the sports and entertainment district that surrounds the Crypto.com Arena and the 7,100-capacity Microsoft Theater. The campus features sports and music venues, night clubs, restaurants, a bowling alley, museum, and a movie theater. L.A. Live is the premier destination for live entertainment in Downtown Los Angeles.

The next Coliseum Summit US will be held at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles on September 6^th-7^th, 2023.

The PCL family of companies is a group of independent general contracting construction companies in Canada, the United States, Australia, and the Caribbean. PCL has headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with the United States head office in Denver, Colorado.

San Francisco (US)-based Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 53 locations and more than 7,000 professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Founded in 1965, the firm works globally with more than 4,000 clients across more than 29 practise areas spanning the work, lifestyle, community, and health sectors.

Informed Zeidman, “We’re not shutting down – two shifts [are working] right now. Hopefully, we don’t have to get into a third shift. It’s a pretty big undertaking this phase, and next phase is even bigger.”

Fans that purchase one of the four new tunnel suites on the event level can pull right up to the suite entrance under the arena, next to where the players park – valet parking is included with the suites, which are essentially bunker suites (with no sightlines to the seating bowl) that replaced employee dressing rooms and carpentry and repair shops.

Capacity is 12 people, with six guest passes. The four terrace suites are accessible via the main concourse and replaced four seating sections. From those eight new spaces, the Crypto.com Arena is already under contract with the buyers for around $250 million on long-term leases, Zeidman further informed.

‘Sports Business Journal’ further stated that the renovation is gutting the upper concourse, from wall to concessions stands and everything in between. The flooring is going from vinyl to porcelain, ceilings are being raised and opened to make the concourse feel airier, and the bathrooms are being replaced with new fixtures and paint schemes.

Zeidman and his team are working with the venue’s concessionaire, Levy (the catering and hospitality partner to many of United Kingdom’s iconic sport, leisure, heritage, performing venues, conference, and exhibition centers) and doing a top-to-bottom audit of their commissary, catering kitchen and all of their pantries. The Arena has added considerable premium inventory in the last two years, but it still has the original back-of-house infrastructure from 1999, so they’re studying possible changes.

For the new sound system, the venue worked with JBL (American audio equipment manufacturer)/Harmon (US-based company manufacturing heavy machinery and equipment) and 3G Productions (installation) (audio-visual equipment rental service in Paradise, Nevada), with Anthony James Partners (consultant in Innsbrook, Virginia) providing the overall sound system design consultation. And Chick Hearn Court, the road bisecting L.A. Live, is being paved over to create one continuous Xbox Plaza, next to the Arena, which will provide for larger event programing there.

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