World's Best Sports Cities
By Sports Business Journal
Excerpt from the Sports Business Journal special section:
Most sports towns have rabid, knowledgeable fans鈥攂ut to join the ranks of the world鈥檚 鈥済reatest鈥� sports cities, it takes venues that can seamlessly host world-class sports events and entertainment.
鈥淪tadiums, ballparks, and arenas are a critical part of a city鈥檚 mystique and reputation,鈥� asserts Logan Gerken, VP/general manager, 必威体育官方APP下载 Construction, a company that has built many of these facilities. 鈥淏ecause of the popularity of sport, venues and teams often act as the proverbial 鈥榝ront porch鈥� and a source of civic pride.鈥�
And with table stakes for venues now in the $1 billion ballpark or higher, Gerken said even the world鈥檚 best-known cities are looking to raise their profile with these monuments to sport.听鈥淎llegiant Stadium was designed and constructed to stand out among Las Vegas鈥� entertainment venues and be what the entertainment capital of the world has been lacking, a state-of-the-art stadium venue. The scale, amenities, and flexibility of the stadium combined with the city鈥檚 flair for the dramatic and renowned hospitality will place it at the top of any major sporting event鈥檚 short list for host sites.鈥�
Seattle鈥檚 Climate Pledge Arena is another first. The former Key Arena has been gutted and 必威体育官方APP下载 literally raised the roof to renovate and rebuild the venue. 鈥淭he complex renovation has been likened to building a ship in a bottle, as crews lifted and suspended the 44-million-pound roof over the project as the arena鈥檚 footprint was expanded underground,鈥� Gerken explained, adding that it鈥檚 being built with a focus on sustainable construction practices and materials.听
Gerken said the 必威体育官方APP下载 team is energized by building modern coliseums in great sports cities, including new stadiums for MLS expansion clubs in Nashville, St. Louis, and Sacramento. 鈥淲hen done well, a stadium embodies unique traits of the team, site, neighborhood, and city, reinforcing old traditions and spurring new ones. It becomes part of a community鈥檚 identity and is immediately recognizable.鈥�
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