by Ken Walker
AP Reports Progress on Devil’s Arena
June 1, 2007
The Associated Press has a piece in several publications this morning reporting the progress of the Devil’s Arena construction, which is slated to be complete this October. ??Sports Illustrated??: “Right on schedule”:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2007/05/31/devils.arena/
We walked past the looming structure just last night, and it’s impressive just how large a footprint the arena has in Newark’s downtown. It’s just three blocks from Newark Penn Station, which should make it really easy to get to for folks taking the train home from New York, and practically across the street from the Gateway office park.
A live webcam of the construction is “available here”:http://www.newjerseydevils.com/njd/prucenter/camindex.php.
A massive oval to hold the ice, 165 feet below the ceiling, has been formed.
Three miles of refrigeration piping are being installed underneath the oval, and in July, 9 inches of cement will be poured to support a rink that stretches 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.
The $377 million Prudential Center is nearing completion in downtown Newark. It will be the new home of the New Jersey Devils starting this fall, and also will host concerts and other sporting events.
“The exterior is basically done,” said Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, donning a black hard hat with the hockey team’s logo, as he toured the construction site earlier this week. “Now it’s about the interior.”
After the cement is poured, the oval will be filled with 10,000 gallons of water, and a three-quarter-inch ice slab will be formed.
The Devils will begin skating on that ice this fall, and New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi will inaugurate the arena on Oct. 25. It will seat 17,615 people for hockey, 19,000 for concerts and 18,500 for basketball.
The Devils are leaving the Meadowlands sports complex in East Rutherford, where attendance ranked in the bottom third of the league the past four seasons even though the team has won three Stanley Cups in 13 seasons.
The new arena seats about the same number of people but has more luxury suites and unlike the Meadowlands, fans can take the train to the game. The arena is within walking distance of Newark’s Penn Station.
Season ticket holder Etta Kelly of Rumson, who plans to take the train to games, can’t wait for the season to begin.
“We’re really excited about it,” she said. “The facility looks amazing.”
I hope vanderbeek loses his shirt and all his money I hope this thing fails
GREAT GREAT GREAT IT WILL BE A SUCCESS AND THE NETS WILL BE THERE TO SO MANY PEOPLE NEED TO REALLY GET WITH CHANGE THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEFF VANDERBEEK WHO BELIEVE’S YA GOTTA BELEIVE REMEMBER?
‘joe mama’ why would you want the arena to fail? Do you not want the arena and surrounding areas to be a success and put some of the flavor back in Newark? I’m glad Vanderbeek took the chance when so many people wouldn’t, why would anyone want against it? I would think more people would be against the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn. I hope the arena is a great success
Trust me it’s going to be a great financial
engine. Any one who wants it fail want to keep Newark trapped in ruins. It’s a great city with a lot of potiental. It you do not wish to the best for the city, then get the hell out. The city of Newark will move forward without you.
I don’t think it’s going to work… look at the Tweeter Center in Camden, which did not make that city a safe, fun destination. People who take the train will never actually set foot in the city once the pedestrian walkway is in place, and people who drive (where will they park??) probably won’t stick around once games are over at 10:30 at night. But I really hope I’m wrong because Newark could use a feather in its cap and so could the businesses in the Broad Street district.
I think Camden’s a different story altogether on the mere fact that it doesn’t share Newark’s potential or crime rate (the latter being worse in Camden). But agreed, I too think Newark could use a ‘feather’ in its cap
Newark is going to come out better then well. One of the reason the crime rate has spike in recent years, is due to the fact that the city is cleaning up. As for parking that can be created. One of those warehouse’s down neck could very easily be knock down to make way for a parking lot.
Also they could always bring the light rail to the arena the track are already there. If I’m not mistaken a street car use to stop in that area back in the day.