New MTS Centre press box ahead of plan

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/09/2010 (5695 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Work continues on expanding the press box at MTS Centre and progress has exceeded earlier expectations giving hope to a completed project as early as summer 2011.

“They’re making good progress on the things going on down there. We have a lot of equipment in there and they are moving along as you can see. They’d like to have some things done by certain deadlines in October,” said True North Sports and Entertainment communications director Scott Brown.

“We’re going to try and work as much as we can within the schedule. There will be times with hockey and other events that it will be difficult to get the cranes in and out. It’ll be difficult to make the kind of progress we’re making now once hockey starts. I think the plan is to get as much done in terms of main structure on the lower half. Once that’s done they’ll evaluate what they can do to complete the project later this winter or heading into next summer.”

The expansion, that will reportedly cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of $2 million, will add a lower level to the current press box to make room for extra radio, TV and print journalists.

The existing press box seats 60 people but the new version will have capacity for 130. The plan is to use the top level for electronic media while print journalists, scouts and team management will work in the lower level.

“The plans for the press box, there’s a larger vision for the press box than what’s being seen out there right now, I don’t think the plan is to complete it this winter,” said Brown. “The plan is get the structure done and then leave the finer points in terms of reconfiguring what’s up there right now, rather than just adding on, there’s a plan to do some re-construction up there, that will happen a little later down the line.”

Brown says the press box expansion as well as a new interior layout for the upper level will alleviate some headaches the organization as had since the building opened.

“The press box was built on top of the rafters and approximately 30 per cent of the views are obstructed. One of the things we wanted to fix was the press box and we knew someday we would have,” said Brown.

“You’ve got print journalists isolated at far ends and scouts at the other and electronic media in the middle dealing with these views. On a night when you get busy, like we’ve seen in the AHL playoffs and the NHL exhibition games, it’s a struggle to seat all the media that want to come in."

"The idea is to build a lower level to accommodate the print media and the top level for the electronic and that allows to provide space for more scouts. It’s embarrassing for the organization to have to tell a scout or a member of the media there’s no room for them.”

Brown says the lower level will not impede the views of those in the stands.

“No, in terms of seeing the ice from the stands this won’t effect anyone’s view,” said Brown.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca