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Virginia Beach Arena (Cancelled)

vdogg

By vdogg
in Virginia Beach

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vdogg
vdogg

Meh. These rumors come around once a year. Kind of a moot issue if we don't have an arena to put them in.

Mike A.
Mike A.

This process has gone on for so long and had so many ups and downs,stops and starts that I don’t believe many people have any faith left that this will come to fruition. This is such a wonderful area

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BFG Town

BFG

Posted
Posted

The Pilot keeps making this about the possibility of an NBA team, and throws out scenarios and speculation. I haven't heard anything concrete, so I'm not sure why it keeps going back to this or how much upgrades would cost.

http://pilotonline.com/inside-business/news/banking-and-finance/nba-franchise-in-virginia-beach-wouldn-t-be-impossible-but/article_320b655f-4724-537b-a19b-08e33a87b963.html

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baobabs727 Burg

baobabs727

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6 hours ago, BFG said:

T The Pilot keeps making this about the possibility of an NBA team, and throws out scenarios and speculation. I haven't heard anything concrete, so I'm not sure why it keeps going back to this or how much upgrades would cost.

http://pilotonline.com/inside-business/news/banking-and-finance/nba-franchise-in-virginia-beach-wouldn-t-be-impossible-but/article_320b655f-4724-537b-a19b-08e33a87b963.html

Because it makes for good click bait, lol.  Frankly, I'm not factoring in a professional sports franchise as a top priority. 

However, I do appreciate the  article because it has me wondering if we've been sold a bill of goods here. Perhaps this arena will, as suggested therein, be a nice but relatively lower rent, large facility suited more for a big University basketball program rather than an NBA team. Moreover, it sounds like a facility  in this price range might be afflicted with certain budget-related insufficiencies in construction and design so as to render impossible or wildly impractical any future NBA-compliant expansion and upgrade.  

In the end, an arena financed and developed with private monies from hometown folks might just prove to be a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, it's certainly a blessing because we likely wouldn't have received such a fiscally responsible deal from anyone else.  On the other hand, the blessing might well turn out to be a curse for pro basketball fans.

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BFG Town

BFG

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It's crazy to me how much times change. From what the article implies, the arena would've been fine 15 or 20 years ago, but wouldn't meet current NBA standards. I wonder if Bruce Thompson would be interested. :P

Jokes aside, if USM is in such close talks with a Big-4 league like they claim, I imagine they have discussed details like how many upgrades are really needed. I'm also guessing naming rights would come into play if that were the case. I'd love to see them go big, but I understand going with a simpler plan, since this isn't dependent on a team.

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Virginia City Whistle-Stop

Virginia City

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I don't understand why people are so hung up on the NBA. If a team comes here it will be an NHL team. I'm sure (I hope) that the arena will be built without the expensive amenities but with the ability to add those major league amenities if/when a team relocates here without expensive reconstruction of the inside.

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BFG Town

BFG

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11 minutes ago, Virginia City said:

I don't understand why people are so hung up on the NBA. If a team comes here it will be an NHL team. I'm sure (I hope) that the arena will be built without the expensive amenities but with the ability to add those major league amenities if/when a team relocates here without expensive reconstruction of the inside.

That was just from what I noticed from The Pilot. I definitely agree that if we got something, our chances are much better with NHL, due to relocation and expansion possibilities.

On another note, if I'm not mistaken, Barclay's Center in Brooklyn (home ice for the Islanders) holds about 15,000 for hockey. If VB were to get hockey, they might not have to put as much work into modifying the arena, if they're starting off with a similar capacity.

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zeppelin14 Hamlet

zeppelin14

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The NHL will not come to Virginia.... Yes, the Islanders play in Brooklyn in front of only 15,000 people, but it is New York after all and the arena is not built for hockey at all. A large section of end seats cannot even see one goal. The Islanders are already talking about moving again and building an arena in Queens or go back to Long Island.

Plus, there are a lot more markets where hockey would be expected to go before Virginia.... Quebec City, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, Hamilton, Hartford. Not a chance we see the NHL.

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likeminded Unincorporated Area

likeminded

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10 hours ago, zeppelin14 said:

The NHL will not come to Virginia.... Yes, the Islanders play in Brooklyn in front of only 15,000 people, but it is New York after all and the arena is not built for hockey at all. A large section of end seats cannot even see one goal. The Islanders are already talking about moving again and building an arena in Queens or go back to Long Island.

Plus, there are a lot more markets where hockey would be expected to go before Virginia.... Quebec City, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, Hamilton, Hartford. Not a chance we see the NHL.

Well, aren't you the optimist?  I don't know if we will or won't.  But I'd certainly say it's within the realm of possibility.  That being said, the arena would be a nice amenity; however, it's a shame the citizens voted against moving forward with light rail.  That would have been a key factor in other aspects of upping the ante in the area.

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carolinaboy Burg

carolinaboy

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I don't mean to keep dog-piling on VB, but I don't see VB, or the region as a whole, really being in contention for a NHL or NBA team. But if it were, if US Management were really talking to a team, why would they not build the arena to meet that league's specification to begin with? Why build a $300M arena (or whatever it is), only to turn around and have to dump another few hundred million to upgrade it? No, I don't think a pro team is in the works.

The arena will be great for VB, I admit that. But it will more than likely provide a great concert venue and host some college-level games and tournaments. Would be great to host CUSA or A10 or CAA perhaps. Maybe even some NCAA regionals. Maybe Arena football?

 

I salivate at the idea of what my alma-mater could do with $300 million for sports facilities.

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HRVT Hamlet

HRVT

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5 hours ago, NFKjeff said:

The recent article indicated it would cost an additional $200M-$250M to make the proposed arena economically viable for either a NBA or NHL team. As many have pointed out, attracting such a franchise is no sure bet, so why would USM borrow that extra money for such a high-risk, particularly when the added cost would mostly benefit the franchise? IMO that would have been a non-starter for VB w/o a guaranteed (signed contract) for a future major league franchise. Such a gamble would doom the arena to failure if it didn't attract a franchise w/i a few years.

I believe the A-10, and possibly the CUSA Tournaments would be in play, but the CAA draws too poorly, and likely could not afford such a venue. Contrary to what others have said, I do believe the ACC Tournament would also be in play.

I agree that the ACC Tournament would be in play once or twice. I don't see it being held in VB more than that. There are too many other cities that are in play constantly. Greensboro and Charlotte are going to get the tournament more often than not (especially once HB2 is finally repealed). But then you have NYC, Atlanta, and Washington DC which are also going to host the tournament from time to time. My guess is that VB may get the nod in the first few years for a year or two. At best, the tournament may come back again. But unless the arena is upgraded to NBA worthy, I don't see it happening again. As mentioned, I think the A-10 and CUSA would be more likely suitors. The NCAA Regionals may also make an appearance or two in VB.

That said, with the costs, this is still a REALLY bad deal. Ultimately, the cost is going to be about half a billion dollars. I struggle to see where the half billion in value is coming from. A few basketball tournaments and some concerts don't really do that. Even should the Admirals relocate and get back into the AHL, the benefit just isn't there. Where is the city getting its ROI from?

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BFG Town

BFG

Posted
Posted

Year-round concerts, more than anything. Amphitheater or whatever it calls itself now probably has five or six months worth of shows. Big name acts like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. can fill the arena throughout the year. The hotel tax helps as well.

That seems to be what they're really hoping for. Pro and college sports would just be the icing on the cake.

AAU Junior Olympics returns to the area in 2020, I believe, and I'm guessing the gymnastics competitions would be moved there, as opposed to the Convention Center.

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baobabs727 Burg

baobabs727

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This just proves that real life is stranger than fiction.  

He was "startled?" Took another exit?  The mood "turned?" Maybe the article's author is just being overly dramatic.  But then again, that bizzarro caveat at the end--a "one day" reconciliation period...or else (!)--makes me wonder if the mayor needs to take a vacation or something. 

I mean, certainly one wouldn't normally place a one day time limit on the negotiatiation of a couple of "crossing t's/dotting i's" sticking points for an agreement that has been four years in the making.  Especially when one side purportedly has yet to be informed of the specifics of these remaining issues!

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BFG Town

BFG

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, vdogg said:

I'm done with this, whatever. Either they want an arena or they don't. Sigh.

http://pilotonline.com/inside-business/news/breaking-news/virginia-beach-mayor-tells-arena-developer-loan-agreement-needs-a/article_3bd19c9a-6033-5978-a30c-8f3a0832c5f0.html

I'm with you. This is getting ridiculous. I hope the article is being dramatic too, but if this falls through again, it shows that VB is not the big city it thinks it is. 

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