New arena drawings revealed, showing new home for Orlando Magic, Orlando Predators, Concerts
Mark Schlueb and David Damron
Sentinel Staff Writers
December 11, 2007
The Amway Center will rise 15 stories and feature a dramatic glass tower and an outdoor public balcony twice as big as its basketball court.
Early details of the $480 million center's design that were shared with the Orlando Sentinel on Monday show a facility that would be markedly different than the team's current home court.
More than twice as big, it would have seven levels and four concourses. The 800,000-square-foot building, scheduled to open in 2010, would feature four restaurants and bars inside, along with restaurants and retail space accessible from the street when there are no games or events.
But perhaps the biggest difference between the new building and the Amway Arena would be the exterior. Where the current arena has an exterior made mostly of concrete, the new design incorporates a 20,000-square-foot, glass-front entryway facing Church Street and a 151-foot glass tower facing Interstate 4.
"We'd like people, as they come to this building for the first time, to be blown away," said John Shreve, an architect with the firm HOK Sport who is helping design the arena. "At the same time, we want it to have a sense of what Orlando is."
Architects said they incorporated one prominent element because it's common in Florida architecture: balconies.
One of them -- the largest at 10,000 square feet -- will sit 38 feet above the ground, several feet higher than the raised deck of I-4 as it passes by. The glass tower will feature a second, smaller deck 116 feet above the ground with a sky bar.
The building -- known as an events center -- would hold only slightly more seats than the current arena: 18,500 versus 17,282 when configured for an NBA game. But the layout bears little resemblance to the current arena and is designed to accommodate the pricier seating options largely absent from the Amway Arena.
There will be three bowl levels instead of two. In between each level will be a row of luxury suites -- 56 total -- compared with the current building's ring of 26 skyboxes along the roof line. There will be 10 other specialty suites. Magic premium-ticket holders would get access to other events, including concerts and college sports.
Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins said the pricing of the luxury suites hasn't been decided, but they'll probably go on sale in the spring.
While there are amenities meant to lure deep-pocketed fans, Magic executives are sensitive to criticism that the new arena will serve only the wealthy. Magic officials say just 15 percent of the total seating will be premium.
The team will offer at least 500 tickets for $5, but exactly how many remains undecided. Fans at all levels will be able to see the event floor from a public bar and food court. And even the cheapest seat will be at least 20 inches wide, 3 inches more than found in the existing arena.
"We've tried to create a wide variety of amenities for every level," Martins said.
Even so, a public parking garage connected to the arena via a raised walkway will likely have most of its spaces set aside for players and high-priced ticket holders. Most fans will have to park in other nearby garage and lots or arrive via a nearby commuter-rail station.
The Amway Arena is only 18 years old but was considered obsolete almost immediately. Architects say that won't happen with the new building. The large size -- 800,000 square feet compared with the existing arena's 367,000 square feet -- allows for "maximum flexibility" in adjusting the new facility for a variety of events.
"This is the most complex bowl they've designed anywhere in the country, and that's because of the flexibility," Martins said.
City officials, who are working with HOK Sport architects, said they consulted with promoters to ensure the building would accommodate touring events. As for college sporting events, only the men's Final Four basketball event would be too big to fit in the new arena, although the Orlando facility could host all other NCAA tournaments, officials said.
"We want to make sure it has the elements you need to operate 365 days instead of just 41 days a year," said Allen Johnson, the city's venues director.
City officials said they also wanted to make sure the design would complement downtown and fit the community. That's one reason it has a different look on each side. To the east, its large LED sign, glass tower and monolithic height -- 23 feet taller than the Amway Arena -- is designed to grab the attention of I-4 drivers.
On the opposite side, the one facing the Parramore neighborhood, there's a public plaza and the team's indoor practice court, with the height dropping down to about four stories. The practice facility would have a glass wall for the public to watch from the street.
October 9, 2008
Copyright 2008 MediaVentures
The Orlando Magic's new arena will feature a beacon with color-changing lights visible across
downtown, according to new design details from the building's architects. The lighted beacon -
along with an even taller spire - will dominate the arena's main entryway and serve as an iconic
emblem for downtown Orlando, Magic chief operating officer Alex Martins said. The 150-foot
tower will be clad in stainless-steel mesh and illuminated by about 200 LEDs that will change color based on events taking place inside. A narrow spire will reach 188 feet above street level and be lit by spotlights. HOK Sport, the arena's architect, also released details of the building's open-air party deck, which would sit 42 feet above the ground, and the 110-foot-high sky bar at the top of the building. Construction of the building started in November. Martins said 1,600 pilings have been driven at the site to support its foundation. Structural columns will begin rising as early as next week, and completion is scheduled for fall 2010. (Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando's New Arena Shoots for on-time Finish
December 6, 2008
Copyright 2008 MediaVentures
Construction of the Orlando Magic's new $480 million arena is on target to finish on time in 2010, with the building now rising from a dirt lot in Parramore.
"In certain respects, we are a little bit ahead of schedule," Magic chief operating officer Alex Martins said Friday.
Workers have finished driving concrete support pilings into the ground at the 9-acre site. Columns and horizontal decks have begun going up as workers start on the east side of the site and work clockwise around what eventually will be center court to complete the exterior shell of the building during the next seven months.
Hunt Construction Group, the prime contractor on the job, also has built Lucas Oil Stadium, home of football's Indianapolis Colts, and is finishing the New York Mets' new baseball park. In Florida, the company built the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' stadium as well as the St. Pete Times Forum and Joe Robbie Stadium.
The Magic are scheduled to move into the new building in August or September 2010, in time for the start of that year's NBA season. Magic execs stressed that the project is bringing much-needed construction jobs in a tough economy.
Willard Holmes Jr., president of True Power Electric of Orlando, said his contracting business was on the verge of ruin until he landed a $170,000 subcontract to work on the arena. His 11-man crew is finishing 12 weeks of work ahead of schedule in just seven weeks.
"About two years ago, when the economy started to bottom out, our account receivables withered with it," Holmes said. "I had maybe a month, month and a half and I would have had to close up shop." Source: Orlando Sentinel
MAGIC TAKES LOAN TO COVER LOSSES
February 26, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Orlando, Fla. - The Orlando Magic plan to borrow about $10 million from the NBA to largely
offset operating losses incurred by the franchise, helping to bridge its move into a new arena in
2010.
Alex Martins, the Magic's chief operating officer, said the club is among as many as 15 teams
who intend to tap into a $1.7 billion league-wide credit facility that will soon be supplemented.
"In general, the NBA has a league-wide credit facility, just like the other leagues do. The
league had already utilized the major portion of that," Martins said. "The league went out to the 30 teams and asked if they were able to get another line of credit, would we be interested? We said, ÔYes.'"
The league surveyed its 30 teams, and 15 were interested in acquiring a loan. Each of the 15
teams can borrow a maximum of $11.7 million from the debt proceeds.
Martins said the money will be used to help the club offset huge operating losses.
He estimates the Magic have lost an average of $15 million each season during the last
half-dozen years - and will lose at least another $15 million this season - and won't begin to break even until the club moves into its new arena in 2010.
"Because of our operational deficits, which will be about a $15 million loss this season, that is
not going change until we get in the new building.
"It's a bridge for us. It helps us cover some of our operations losses and debt as opposed to
additional equity in the team," Martins said. (Orlando Sentinel)
SUITE SALES STRONG FOR MAGIC
March 12, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Orlando, Fla. - Luxury is on its way out, but the Orlando Magic are hoping it's back in by the
time the new arena opens in the fall of 2010.
So far 54 out of 60 premium suites and 65 of 68 loge boxes are under contract, said team Chief
Operating Officer Alex Martins. A $10,000 deposit was required on the suites, which cost between
$150,000 to $295,000 a year, and on the loge boxes, which cost $40,000 to $60,000 a year.
Those numbers aren't bad, especially given the slash and burn cost-cutting most companies are
going through right now. Time will tell, however, whether those contracts get broken. It's a lot
easier to leave a $10,000 deposit behind than commit to annual payments in excess of $150,000 for
at least three years.
No matter how many suites are actually sold the Magic will owe the city of Orlando, owner of
the arena, $1.75million each year - a fee set to escalate 3 percent each year for 25 years - as part of its overall contribution to the arena.
"People don't want to miss out on the opportunity of the new facility," Martins said. "By the fall of 2010 the economy will have rebounded into a better place."
But the recovery from the recession is widely expected to be a flat one. That means slow to no
growth.
The translation is dim prospects on big sponsorship deals for the arena as well.
With a number of stadiums and arenas in the hunt for sponsorship agreements right now,
including naming rights, it's a buyer's market for the brands that are willing to pay to intertwine with an NBA, NFL or even college team.
Still, Martins remains optimistic.
"We've had some really positive conversations," he said.
The Magic are also selling memberships to their "Champions of the Community" program,
which would include brand exposure in the five community gymnasiums the Magic pledged to
build for $25 million as part of its deal with the city and county to construct the $480 million arena with mostly public money.
Construction on the first community gym at Curry Ford Community Park will begin in April.
(Orlando Sentinel)
April 23, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Melbourne, Fla.-based Harris Corp. and the Orlando Magic have signed a multiyear deal To make Harris the official technology provider for the new arena. Under the deal, Harris will put in 1,100 high-definition screens, an Internet television system and a state-of-the-art sign network. Harris will get a key spot in the Magic's marketing and
communications campaigns. The company will also sponsor a new Fan Zone on the west side of the new arena. The price of the deal was not revealed. The new Orlando Events center is scheduled to open in October 2010.
Putting Amway Brand on Orlando Magic's New Arena Goes Beyond Naming Rights
by Chris Knape | The Grand Rapids Press
Wednesday August 05, 2009
Calling the Orlando Magic's next home Amway Center wasn't a simple naming rights deal.
The Ada-based multi-level marketing giant calls the 10-year, $40 million deal with the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference champions a far more sweeping "vision rights commitment."
The deal continues the re-emergence of the Amway brand in North America and the close relationship between the company and the team.
Amway co-founder Rich DeVos owns the Magic. Team President Bob Vander Weide is DeVos' son-in-law.
Sports Business Journal reported that the agreement is tied for sixth-largest naming rights deal in the NBA.
In an interview after announcing the deal, Candace Matthews, Amway's chief marketing officer, said the $380 million city-owned Orlando, Fla., venue will provide the company with a world showcase for its brands when it opens in fall 2010.
"The Orlando arena and Orlando itself is a global destination place," Matthews said.
"We operate in over 80 countries and territories, so it has the ability for us to bring our global business to a place that is actually global."
Amway struck a deal to name the Magic's current home Amway Arena in 2006, an agreement that also gave the company the exclusive option for naming rights at a new arena, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
Since then, the company has rebranded its U.S. and Canadian operations Amway Global, launched an extensive U.S. advertising campaign, and cut endorsement deals with other sports teams and prominent athletes as it tried to polish a well-known brand that had been tarnished by tax scandals, sometimes questionable recruitment practices and disputes with its distributors.
Matthews said the company's plans for promoting its brand at the arena aren't adequately described as "naming rights."
Amway "experiences" -- like the mobile units promoting its Nutrilite and Artistry brands that have followed Amway-sponsored events around the country -- will be part of the arena, allowing visitors to "interact with our brands," Matthews said.
More than 1,000 screens inside the arena, which seats up to 20,000 people, might be adjusted to promote Amway brands most relevant to an event's audience.
An event with a large female audience, for example, could use the boards to promote Artistry cosmetics. Male-oriented events might have marketing geared toward Amway's sports nutrition and men's skin-care products.
Although Amway is increasingly rolling out stores where consumers can buy its products in Asia, the company will not have a retail presence in Amway Center, Matthews said.
The company's desire to make Orlando a hub showcasing its brand will not detract from the amount of business it brings to Grand Rapids, she said.
Amway's headquarters and its three downtown Grand Rapid hotels play host to thousands of visitors from around the world each year.
"Grand Rapids will always be the primary place where we bring our distributors from all around the world," she said.
CONCESSIONAIRES VIE FOR ORLANDO VENUE
October 15, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Orlando, Fla. - Three firms - Levy Restaurants, Centerplate and Aramark - are bidding for
rights to be the concessionaire for the Orlando MagicÕs new arena that opens next year. Levy
currently serves the Magic at Amway Arena.
Other possible contenders are: Ovations, which serves the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach and
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium; and Delaware North Companies Sportservice, with clients
including the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Soldier Field in
Chicago.
The concession contract has always been competitive. But the new arena boasts many more
dining options and bars than the Magic's current home court - and will presumably earn more
money for its concessionaire.
Levy has hired lobbyist Kelly Cohen of Southern Strategy Group, a former campaign fundraiser
for the mayor who also has close ties to his chief of staff. Centerplate's lobbyist is attorney Fred
Leonhardt, a senior partner at the powerful Gray Robinson firm who has cultivated deep political
connections over the years.
Levy, Centerplate and Aramark have also opened their checkbooks. Records show that Lynum,
Diamond and Robert Stuart, the three city commissioners who face re-election in the spring, each
has received campaign contributions recently from one or more of the prospective concessionaires.
Stuart has received $1,650, Lynum $700, and Diamond $900.
Because the city requires that a percentage of the contract go to businesses owned by minorities
and women, bidders typically partner with local minority firms. Levy already partners with Orlando
food-service manager Arthur Lee. Former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson's investment
firm, Admiral Capital Group, has a stake in Centerplate. And Aramark is partnering with Johnny
Rivers Ð a relationship that some say said led to his recent ejection from Amway Arena by Levy
after 10 years at the venue.
City officials have not yet solicited bids. Once they issue a formal request for proposals, bidders
won't be allowed to lobby commissioners. Bids will be evaluated and ranked by a committee made
up of city staffers and Magic employees. The City Council has the final say.
Currently, the city and Levy have a management contract. The city covers all expenses and
pays the concessionaire a flat fee of $250,000 a year plus a small percentage of revenues.
The annual payment is capped at $500,000, which is nearly all profit for the contractor. The city
collects the balance of the concession revenue.
But the city and the Magic are also considering a "commission contract," which is also common
at public venues. The concessionaire would pay expenses and pay the city a percentage of sales,
typically around 40 percent.
One other difference that will affect Orlando's bottom line: Unlike the current arrangement, the
city has agreed to let the Magic keep concession payments on game nights.
November 12, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
The largest video screen in an NBA arena will be installed at the Magic's new Amway Center
in Orlando. The venue opens in 2010. Daktronics will design and manufacture more than 50
full-color light emitting diode (LED) displays for the arena. The centerhung scoreboard alone will
include four primary high definition LED video displays with 840 lines of resolution, approximately
17 feet high by 24 feet wide, eight auxiliary video/scoring/statistics displays, and two LED ring
displays. The venue will be the first in the world to utilize high resolution 6 mm surface mount LED
pixel technology on all of the centerhung digital displays. More than 9 million individual LEDs will
be used in the 18 displays incorporated into the centerhung scoreboard. Overall dimensions of the
centerhung scoreboard are 42 feet by 41 feet by 41 feet, making it the largest of any in NBA
venues.
