Scotiabank Arena multiphase renovation plans

Article posted by Coliseum, October 13^th, 2023

Image: MLSE

Ahead of the 25^th anniversary celebration of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Canada) in February, the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) announced on October 10^th the Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination project, an investment of more than $350 million to further enhance the best-in-class sports and entertainment destination for the future.

‘PCL CONSTRUCTION’ stated that the comprehensive multiphase renovations will feature capital improvements to almost all areas within the venue including concourses, suites, premium clubs, retail spaces, food and beverage (F&B) offerings, state-of-the-art technological innovations, and more.

The 19,800-capacity Scotiabank Arena, formerly known as the Air Canada Centre, is a multipurpose arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).

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The Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Limited is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, it is the largest sports and entertainment company in Canada, and one of the largest in North America.

‘PCL CONSTRUCTION’ further stated that the Scotiabank Arena underwent extensive renovations this Summer to remodel the venue’s 200 Level Mastercard Executive Suites level along with state-of-the-art technology upgrades in the concourses for a pilot program designed to revolutionize fans’ food and beverage experience. This Summer’s renovations and plans for a remodeling of the 100 Level concourse in 2024 were both unveiled on October 10th as part of a Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination media tour.

Said Cynthia Devine, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Limited, “For 25 years, the Scotiabank Arena has been the heartbeat of this City and has established itself as one of the top venues in the world, hosting many of the biggest events in sports and entertainment and creating countless memories. This investment by MLSE’s owners is another important example of their commitment to further building on the Scotiabank Arena’s global reputation as well as a commitment to our teams, employees and most importantly, to our fans.”

The Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination project is a multiphase renovation project that will improve almost all areas of the arena. The project is investing more than $350 million.

The Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination project is being completed in collaboration with Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects, DesignAgency, the Owner’s Representative firm CAA ICON, and PCL Construction. The Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and PCL Construction originally led the design and construction of the venue which opened in February 1999.

Toronto (Canada)-based the Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects is a full-service architectural firm specializing in master planning, architectural design, interior design, and project management. With offices in Toronto (Canada) and New York (US), the firm continues to make its mark on an international scale with designs that delight and inspire.

Toronto (Canada)-based the DesignAgency is an award-winning international design studio that draws on over two decades of expertise in interior design, architectural and landscape concepting, strategic branding, and visual communications.

The Owner’s Representative is an industry expert hired by the Owner of a building or facility project to act as the Owner’s advocate and represent their best interests.

A division of the leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Denver (US)-based CAA ICON is the world’s-leading Owners Representative and strategic management consulting firm for public and private sports and entertainment facility owners/operators, professional franchises and leagues.

Edmonton (Canada)-based the PCL Construction is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers.

Stated Marc Pascoli, Senior Vice-President and District Manager, PCL Construction, “From bringing the original vision for Scotiabank Arena to life in 1999, to completing latest renovations this past Summer, the PCL is honored to have played a role in the Scotiabank Arena’s legacy for nearly 25 years. Congratulations to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, our partners and all of the trades people involved as we celebrate the future of the Scotiabank Arena and the continued delivery of a best-in-class experience for fans.”

Scotiabank Venue Reimagination Project – Summer 2023 Activities

This Summer, the Venue Reimagination project fully upgraded Scotiabank Arena’s premium spaces on the Mastercard Executive Suites Level (200 Level) as well as added state-of-the-art technology in select locations in the concourses to revolutionize fans’ concession experience. The additional features include:

An all-new Mastercard Lounge – a first-of-its-kind shared members space overlooking the bowl from the South-West corner of the 200 Level with a premium viewing and dining experience. The Mastercard Lounge taps into the fans’ desire to push the traditional boundaries of the viewing experience and integrates Mastercard’s multisensory strategy by engaging fans’ senses for a heightened game viewing experience. The space features a modern ambiance as well as an all-inclusive dining and an interactive Chef’s Table, inspired by a daily menu of Canada’s most premium ingredients created by Michelin Star trained chefs;
A complete floor-to-ceiling remodel of all Mastercard Executive Suites with new high-end finishes, stone accents, enhanced in-suite technology, convertible accessible seating as well as vaulted ceilings to expand the viewing area of the bowl; and
The addition of two concession marketplaces with Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, making the Scotiabank Arena one of the first Canadian venues to implement this technology. The Grains and Greens (100 Level) and Molson Market (300 Level) are designed to eliminate checkout lines and create an effortless experience. The fans enter the marketplaces by using their credit card at the entry gate and the artificial AI technology detects what is selected or returned so fans can walk out without waiting in line.

A preliminary phase for the Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination project began in 2019 with the addition of a new 2,200 square foot LED videoboard from LG Electronics on the West side of the building to enhance the fan viewing experience in Maple Leaf Square, two additional largescale screens in the Galleria, unique LED color changing arena signage, and a full renovation of Real Sports, one of the City’s favorite sports and entertainment dining venues.

Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination Project – Summer 2024 Plans

Following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 National Hockey League (NHL) team Toronto Maple Leafs and the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Toronto Raptors seasons, an all-encompassing design makeover of the 100 Level concourses will begin along with the construction of new innovative spaces within the walls of the arena.

The Toronto Maple Leafs is a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto (Canada). They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The club is owned by the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a company that owns several professional sports teams in the City. The Scotiabank Arena serves as their residence.

The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto (Canada). The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Scotiabank Arena serves as their home ground.

Full renovation of the 100 Level concourse with a new contemporary and fan-friendly design. The concourse design will be dynamic with screens, beacons and hubs that transform to fit the look, feel and energy of the event within it;
Modernized concession stands, transforming eight kiosks into grab-n-go style markets. The frictionless experience will be complemented with traditional counter service enabling fans to transact faster, spend less time waiting in lines and more time enjoying the event. These markets will feature fresh local food offerings representing the rich diversity of the City alongside arena staples and favourites;
The expansion of Real Sports Apparel with an additional retail store on the 100 Level concourse for an extended sports merchandise and fan shopping experience;
Refreshed Hot Stove Restaurant on the 200 Level including a new dedicated entrance from the second floor of the Galleria directly into the steakhouse’s front lounge. The Hot Stove offers a contemporary steakhouse design that seamlessly blends with its historic charm and is open to all ticket holders for pre-event and event dining;
An all-new Tunnel Club on the Event Level where members become part of the action as they get an exclusive up-close view of players entering the bowl from the locker room while they dine in the Scotiabank Arena’s newest premium restaurant. This club will feature high-end design and finishes steps away from their seats; and
The Redesigned Gate 6 broadcast studio to enhance the viewing experience for fans at home.

Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination Project – Future Vision

Looking ahead at the multiphase Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination, the future years will include enhancements to the additional fan-facing spaces as well as back-of-house artiste and athlete areas to continue to position the Scotiabank Arena as a top-ranked live events venue. Some of the upcoming venue updates include a complete design reinvigoration of the 300 Level concourse in line with the 100 Level design, the addition of dedicated artiste and talent spaces for a premium backstage experience and more improvements to be announced at a later date.

Added Nick Eaves, Chief Venues and Operations Officer, MLSE, “From concourse innovations, to premium space design, to the storied art on our walls, it was crucial to us to ensure this Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination featured improvements that all fans can benefit from. Beginning with the momentum from the renovations made this past Summer, we look forward to unveiling to fans the best-in-class design, technology and overall atmosphere enhancements over the course of this multiphased project that take our fans’ sports and entertainment experience to even greater heights.”

Recognizing Toronto as a hub for arts and culture, the Scotiabank Arena Venue Reimagination project looked to reflect this within the venue in the heart of the City. Earlier this year, the MLSE launched a call to artistes with the intent of curating a one-of-a-kind museum quality art collection throughout the arena showcasing sport, music and history telling the story of the rich diversity of Canada.

In collaboration with Sports And The Arts (SATA), the venue has added 76 commissioned art pieces to date, ranging from photography to mixed media, created by 34 artistes representing diverse communities. As the multiphase Reimagination project continues, further artistes and muralists of all levels and experience and from all backgrounds and cultures will have an opportunity to contribute to this distinguished collection throughout the building.

The Sports And The Arts is the leading sports venue art collection curators in North America and brought a vast portfolio of experience into the Scotiabank Arena project.

The Sports And The Arts brings vision and experience to the design and implementation of large-scale art installations. Combining fine art, photography and large format graphic wall treatments, the Sports And The Arts creates exciting, one-of-a-kind collections for each client.

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