FirstOntario Centre (aka Copps Coliseum) | ? | 4 fl | Proposed

[king10]

Originally Posted by BCTed

Interesting. I had my levels confused.

EDIT: It looks like Slide 11 in this presentation has diagrams of the ice-level (below ground, Level 1) concourse and the street-level (Level 2) concourse...
https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings...umentId=378717

Great find. You can also see the connection points to jackson square.

[BCTed]

Here is another link with floor plans of the three levels:
https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/30...rks/copps2.htm

[BCTed]

The location of the interior scenes in this trailer seems familiar... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJiPAJKjUVg

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by BCTed

The location of the interior scenes in this trailer seems familiar... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJiPAJKjUVg

Yeah, and they're trying to pass off the Skydome as the exterior of this arena.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Yeah, and they're trying to pass off the Skydome as the exterior of this arena.

With Copps as the interior, what shitshow. either way, another crap shoot movie that must have made them a few bucks while they seem to delay the renovation.

[ScreamingViking]

Tanaka Arena.

This may seem funny, but I still expect to see Copps/FOC with the multi-coloured seats rather than the uniform blue ones. Maybe that's because I went to many more events before the change compared to after (including the first concert... The Thompson Twins with OMD opening)

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

This may seem funny, but I still expect to see Copps/FOC with the multi-coloured seats rather than the uniform blue ones. Maybe that's because I went to many more events before the change compared to after (including the first concert... The Thompson Twins with OMD opening)

Me too, however I've never been inside the arena since they replaced the seats. In fact, the last time I've stepped foot in the arena was for a Hamilton Canucks (Vancouver's AHL farm team) game back in 1992.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Me too, however I've never been inside the arena since they replaced the seats. In fact, the last time I've stepped foot in the arena was for a Hamilton Canucks (Vancouver's AHL farm team) game back in 1992.

It hasn't really changed... it has just become older and more drab. It does have a very tired feel to it.

Some notes:
- They did replace the lower bowl with blue seating probably close to twenty years ago (possibly more than twenty years ago). I find the seating comfortable enough.
- They had an escalator that was embarrassingly broken and out of operation for years
- The current scoreboard is probably the third one in the arena's history and is so outdated that there is probably no arena with over 4000 seats in all of Ontario that does not have much crisper video
- The concessions currently have less variety than in the past --- most of them seem to be "Franks & Suds", which does not have much more for sale than franks and suds.
- The washrooms are clean enough, but are some of the only widely visited washrooms that I can think of that do not have touchless sensors to turn on the faucets
- When Def Leppard paid a visit four or five years ago, the leader singer stated in a YouTube that the arena smelled like "10,000 a**es". Apparently it was due to some garbage by the loading by on a hot day or something like that (I don't exactly remember)

[drpgq]

Saw this on Joey Coleman's Twitter feed:

OVG to break ground on FirstOntario Centre reno

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.co...oup-renovation

[matt602]

Reopen by fall of next year? lol doubt that

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by matt602

Reopen by fall of next year? lol doubt that

They're planning to reopen but not be done renovations is my understanding. 12 months closed then another 6 of finishing work while the arena is back open. I suspect finishing up exterior and street facing elements in the last 6ish months.

[ScreamingViking]

As long as the interior structural changes are complete and "safe" I'd think OVG will want to start hosting revenue-generating events.

While I hope to see some impressive exterior work, I can accept if it's just lipstick so long as the guts of the arena are vastly improved. More can be done later, if need be.

[JakeLRS]

WE FINALLY HAVE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND!
I never thought I’d see the day!

I was hoping we would have seen some new renderings though.

https://www.chch.com/major-renovatio...ntario-centre/

The official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to kick off renovations at the downtown stadium at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Over the next 14 months, work will be done to strip the entire facility down to its core and carry out a $280 million renovation project that is expected to completely transform the arena.

Once complete, the venue will be able to host 18,000 people at a time and be decked out in premium features, including enhanced acoustics, improved sightlines, upgraded concourses, and new artist lounges.

[SteelTown]

https://www.hamiltonarenaproject.com/

[SteelTown]

[Berklon]

The planned exterior looks better than it does today, but it's not much more than just slapping a fresh coat of paint in 2 colors. It'll still have that outdated 80's look to it.
Underwhelming.

[king10]

Originally Posted by Berklon

The planned exterior looks better than it does today, but it's not much more than just slapping a fresh coat of paint in 2 colors. It'll still have that outdated 80's look to it.
Underwhelming.

Was never going to be about the exterior, though the spec article said there would be a new restaurant open on non event days. This was always about the concourses and arena bowl.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by king10

Was never going to be about the exterior, though the spec article said there would be a new restaurant open on non event days. This was always about the concourses and arena bowl.

I am personally more than fine with it being primarily about the interior. The exterior does look dated, but I kind of like it, and it will be nice to see it cleaned up and at least have some fresh paint and working signage in front of the arena.

The restaurant is going to have a celebrity chef attached to it, and it might be Matty Matheson from The Bear. The announcement is apparently coming at some point in the next couple of months.

All of this said, I am confused about the concourse situation. My understanding is that there are three levels to the arena:
- The below-ground ice-level / event-level
- The street-level
- The current above-street-level concourse, which has up to this point been used to access the entire arena bowl (upper and lower).

Let's take the below-ground level out of the equation for a moment (though it looks like there will be some kind of lounges on that level).

I had understood that the current concourse might be re-done to access only the upper bowl, and one of the renders seems to suggest that (the one with people hanging out outside of sections 220-221). However, one of the other concourse images shows people going up the stairs/escalators to enter what also looks like the current concourse and it seems to have access to both the lower and upper bowls (outside of sections 108,109,211,212) ---[EDIT: Maybe that image only shows access to the upper bowl, while still having signage showing sections 108 and 109, but not access to them?]. The left part of the in-bowl concert image also seems to show the current concourse being used for both the lower and upper bowls. All of the pictures seem to be of the current concourse.

To me, one of the most exciting aspects of this whole thing is the possibility of two full (hopefully wrap-around) concourses coming into play and making things much more roomy during big events, but I can't tell if that will be the case or not. Does anyone understand this and can explain?

[Innsertnamehere]

Re: Hockey:

Leiweke says he believes there are two or three OHL teams looking for a new home. He also mentions the Professional Women’s Hockey League. And the American Hockey League.

“You have some opportunities here,” he says. “The (Toronto) Marlies (are a) good example. They’re playing at the old Coca-Cola Coliseum. I think they deserve a better home so we’re paying attention to that.”

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/colu...aaf6c9d15.html

Perhaps AHL is a real possibility? Who knows. Looks like it'll be AHL or an OHL team (likely not the bulldogs) moving from another market.

That quote does confirm my suspicions that Leiweke is courting MLSE to pull the Marlies down the QEW.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by king10

Was never going to be about the exterior, though the spec article said there would be a new restaurant open on non event days. This was always about the concourses and arena bowl.

Yeah, I get that the interior was the main reason for the renovation - it's just that an aesthetically pleasing exterior goes a long way in improving the look of the downtown core.