COMPLETE: Dunkin' Donuts Center renovations

[09/21/38]

Went to the Dunk on Saturday and noticed the bridge is now open that connects to the convention center. the LaSalle Sq. restaurant is also open. Not sure if you can actually by food there but the bar is open.

Next up is installation of the new black seats w/cupholder and the rest of the lobby w/ a new ticket office and souvenir shop.

[dgreco]

Just an update on the seating. The projo had an article.

Take a Seat at the Dunk

and

Depending on the setup and size of the seats, the total number in the arena could range from 10,503 to 13,099, according to Lawrence C. Bacher, a senior project executive for Gilbane. Before construction, there were 12,600 seats.

Says there were never 13,100 seats only 12,600 seats. IDK how the new construction can go up to 13,099 (dont know if they mean if they pick smaller seats it can get up to 13,099 or if they mean configuration) but it looks like even with the luxury boxes the seats still say consistent, if not better.

[09/21/38]

With the new wider seats, they won't be able to maintain the current attendance figures. But they may be able to do something creative behind the baskets so that the risors continue back to the permanent seats without any gaps.

It will be interesting to see what the actual attendence figures work out to be.

But they will still be less than Worcester and Hartford.

[runawayjim]

With the new wider seats, they won't be able to maintain the current attendance figures. But they may be able to do something creative behind the baskets so that the risors continue back to the permanent seats without any gaps.

It will be interesting to see what the actual attendence figures work out to be.

But they will still be less than Worcester and Hartford.

this isn't an arena pissing match between us and worcester/hartford. the differences in size aren't that much and without completely overhauling the actual structure of the building, they can't easily add enough seats to bring us to those levels. the renovations alone should help draw more events. it doesn't make that much of a difference that we have a smaller capacity than those cities.

[mvince03]

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsbl...e_opens_be.html

[mental757]

PROJO: "At the Dunk: D

[Cotuit]

02/18:

[CtownMikey]

02/18:

yay I miss looking at photos on this site.. its been a while.. I like this here... but I wish they had put a video board above the DDC .. about the same size at the name takes up in space, to play little previews of upcomings shows

[runawayjim]

yay I miss looking at photos on this site.. its been a while.. I like this here... but I wish they had put a video board above the DDC .. about the same size at the name takes up in space, to play little previews of upcomings shows

i agree. it needs something like what's on the other side by the highway, even if it's just a scrolling display listing upcoming events.

[mental757]

I bet it might have been part of the project (or the Dunk people at least would agree with the need/desire for that), but got cut out due to the cost increases.

[Garris]

I was at the Dunk recently and was impressed by the feel of the place. Very "big time sports arena" feel to it. Nice work on the redo... The new entrance is particular a quantum leap ahead of what was there before.

One thing that gives me pause, though, is the cheap feel of some of the materials. I'm afraid this will look quite worn in a decade or two...

- Garris

[prudence]

Anyone else rooting for the P-Bruins to lose just so they can get on with finishing this thing?

Oops, can't root against the home team.

[09/21/38]

The playoffs will probably go the distance as the P-Bruins are the favorites to win it all. What would be nice would be for some updated renderings as to how the new seats will look when completed and the lobby.

Some exterior painting or re-coating would be an improvement over the current brown exterior.

[Cotuit]

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsbl...nce_the_39.html

Sheduled for completion this summer are: finishing the old lobby, a new Providence Bruins store, upgrades to seating areas, exterior work, and creating new seats in the arena bowl.

The Dunk will close tomorrow night and reopen Sept. 5th. A public open house is scheduled for Sept. 6th, and American Idol will the first event in the new Dunk on Sept. 7th.

[Frankie811]

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsbl...nce_the_39.html

The Dunk will close tomorrow night and reopen Sept. 5th. A public open house is scheduled for Sept. 6th, and American Idol will the first event in the new Dunk on Sept. 7th.

There is a hip hop concert @ the dunk tomorrow night.

[Cotuit]

The remaining bits of the Klingon Battlecruiser are being painted beige to blend with the Dunk renovations.

[09/21/38]

Thanks for the picture of the outside painting. It will be interesting to see what it looks like when it is completed. Is there any chance of sneaking a few pictures of the inside renovations and progress of phase three?

There of course is nothing on the DDC web site more recent than a year old on the renovations. You would thing they would promote what the final renovations will look like with some recent photos and something on the open house plans.

Also thanks for the nice picture of the new parking lot across the street. What nice paved parking and black fence. kidding.

[numonex]

I don't understand the argument at all - Isn't it better to have 800 fewer seats that are more likely to be sold for more per event due to upgraded facilities than shoe-horning in 800 more seats up in the rafters? That doesnt make sense at all. I have never heard much in the way of tax payer outcry due to there not being enough seats available for events. My understanding was that they had a hard time filling the place almost always. I think the reduction in seats in favor of luxo boxes was a good move.

I have been reading this topic and thought I would weigh in. Sure luxury boxes are needed but in the grand scheme of things how well do you really think the revamped arena will do. Capacity is the number one selling point to get attractions and acts. Before this whole project took place I was at a Pro Bruins game and they had people running about with a survey of what we though the inmprovments should be. Capacity upgrade is number one. A small arena surrounded by bigger ones, TDBanknorth, XL (hartford), etc will ALWAYS get the bigger shows. We are not talking small differances either. XL is some 4,000 people more and TD more than that. I can only hope that with its real small capacity the new Dunk is capible of living up to all the promisses that are being made...I am not sure it can. Bad move was made here by REDUCING the capacity when they needed to ADD. Just my thoughts

[CtownMikey]

I don't see capacity as the top incentive to having an event in Providence. One example is to look at all of the activities within 45 minutes of the Dunk that event attendees could do pre and post events..

[runawayjim]

the dunk is not competing against the garden. anyone who thinks that is kidding themselves. it's competing with hartford, worcester, and mohegan sun. the capacity difference compared to worcester isn't that great. mohegan sun is tiny.

you're also forgetting that they couldn't add capacity without basically rebuilding the place. that wasn't part of the plan. they renovated the inside of the arena and fixed up the outside. they didn't tear down anything and build new. that's the only way they could have gotten a much larger capacity. reducing the capacity by 800 seats wouldn't really change the chances of getting events compared to the old capacity.

[webbage]

I have been reading this topic and thought I would weigh in. Sure luxury boxes are needed but in the grand scheme of things how well do you really think the revamped arena will do. Capacity is the number one selling point to get attractions and acts. Before this whole project took place I was at a Pro Bruins game and they had people running about with a survey of what we though the inmprovments should be. Capacity upgrade is number one. A small arena surrounded by bigger ones, TDBanknorth, XL (hartford), etc will ALWAYS get the bigger shows. We are not talking small differances either. XL is some 4,000 people more and TD more than that. I can only hope that with its real small capacity the new Dunk is capible of living up to all the promisses that are being made...I am not sure it can. Bad move was made here by REDUCING the capacity when they needed to ADD. Just my thoughts

Methinks that with a maximum capacity of nearly 20,000, the Garden is not even in the same league as the Dunk, and never will be.

[numonex]

Methinks that with a maximum capacity of nearly 20,000, the Garden is not even in the same league as the Dunk, and never will be.

From what I have heard the XL in hartford is 16-17K and they are talks of completely rebuilding. this also puts that out of the Dunks league. Obviously they cant do 20k but in the Dunk you are going to have lux boxes along the sides PLUSS the lux club at the end. Sorry but that is too much. Lux boxes on the sides was a good ides but they should have looked at the end and reconfigured for more seating. The original plan called for an additiona 1000 seats which would have put it at 15.5K and who knows with configuring the end where the club is they could have eeked that up to 16k....1k less than Hartford and IN the same league. Mohegan sun is in its own league because it is a casino and they will get differant types of shows even tho they will be some overlap.

I just dont see the Dunk getting any worthwile shows. They are going to opt for Hartford and Boston leaving Providence with the scraps like hasbeens and kiddie shows. We have the Ryan Center for that.....

[runawayjim]

From what I have heard the XL in hartford is 16-17K and they are talks of completely rebuilding. this also puts that out of the Dunks league. Obviously they cant do 20k but in the Dunk you are going to have lux boxes along the sides PLUSS the lux club at the end. Sorry but that is too much. Lux boxes on the sides was a good ides but they should have looked at the end and reconfigured for more seating. The original plan called for an additiona 1000 seats which would have put it at 15.5K and who knows with configuring the end where the club is they could have eeked that up to 16k....1k less than Hartford and IN the same league. Mohegan sun is in its own league because it is a casino and they will get differant types of shows even tho they will be some overlap.

I just dont see the Dunk getting any worthwile shows. They are going to opt for Hartford and Boston leaving Providence with the scraps like hasbeens and kiddie shows. We have the Ryan Center for that.....

I suppose that depends on the types of shows you want to see. There have been very few shows coming to arenas that have been worthwhile. Also, don't knock the kiddie shows. They bring in TONS of money and people. Hannah Montana nearly shut the city down with the amount of people here. Hasbeens are also quite the attraction, and make up the majority of concert tours going on today. Most concerts happen during the summer and are at the outdoor ampitheatres, with which we can't compete because RI doesn't have one.

As for everything else, the P-Bruins have been doing really well and the city is always mobbed when they have games. Same thing goes for PC games.

And again, stop putting Boston in this mix. The Dunk is nowhere near the same class as the Garden. There is no comparison. Unless Providence gets a 20k seat arena, we will never be competing against Boston for events.

[matt]

I just went to two concerts in CT (XL and Mohegan). I really hope the dunk starts drawing some of these acts (beyond Hanna Montana). I really would have preferred to stay local and spend local (and eat at Local ;-) )

[runawayjim]

I just went to two concerts in CT (XL and Mohegan). I really hope the dunk starts drawing some of these acts (beyond Hanna Montana). I really would have preferred to stay local and spend local (and eat at Local ;-) )

unfortunately, i think it's gonna be hard to compete with mohegan considering everything you could possibly want before and after a show is right outside the door (literally in fact). however, i am not a fan of that arena. the steps are super steep.

i do think once the renovations are 100% complete, we will be able to draw some of the acts that go to hartford, regardless of seating capacity.