By Rick Pusiak
Wolves fans can expect an impressive new look inside the Sudbury Arena when the 2003-2004 hockey season starts up.
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Construction of corporate suites and club seats is expected to begin next summer along the north side of the complex.
City councillors endorsed the idea Thursday night at their regularly scheduled meeting.
Â?If implemented the corporate suite-club seat program would bring the Sudbury Arena into the 21st century,Â? said mayor Jim Gordon.
Â?A more attractive venue will create new levels of excitement allowing the City to market a high quality facility for year round events. Other arenas with similar programs have experienced an increase in attendance.Â?
Wolves vice president Blaine Smith said a company called Stadium Consultants International (SCI) is in the process of drawing up the design for corporate suites and club seats.
He said the concept is for a box with a row of six seats and six stools with a railing. The boxes are expected to hold between 12 and 15 people. The box would also include a couch, a couple of chairs, sink and a fridge. Patrons would also have access to their own washroom.
ItÂ?s expected the beer sales licence would apply to the boxes as well.
The 14 boxes are expected to generate about $200,000 annually in revenue. If those numbers are correct, the $2.5 million cost would not be recouped for about a dozen seasons.
Â?The Sudbury arena, 10 years ago, used to be one of the best facilities in the Ontario Hockey League,Â? said Smith.
Â?But in the last 10 yearsÂ?there are a lot of new buildings. They all have corporate boxes and a lot of the other older buildings in the league have been renovated to include corporate boxes and club seats.Â?
The project SCI is presenting to the Wolves carries a pricetag of about $2.5 million.
Smith said the bill will be paid by pre-selling the boxes to the corporate community based on long-term lease agreements.
That is expected to generate enough revenue to cover program costs.
It will be about 15 years before the boxes are completely paid for.
No municipal dollars will be spent.
Â?(SCI is) putting the plan together, theyÂ?re going to come in and market the boxes and sell the boxes on our behalf because thatÂ?s what they do for a living and thatÂ?s what theyÂ?re best at,Â? explained Smith.
Â?TheyÂ?re doing this in Peterborough and Kitchener as we speakÂ?everything hinges on them pre-selling the boxes.Â?
Smith said the next big date for the hockey club and the arena is when a lease agreement is in place.
He explained council has just approved the concept at this point and negotiations are ongoing.
Â?Hopefully we will have an agreement before the end of December,Â? said Smith.
Â?Then the announcement will come forward (that) these boxes are for sale.Â?
The Wolves have been without a contract with the city for several months and have been working under an old
agreement.
PeterboroughÂ?s arena is having 22 corporate boxes installed, while Kitchener is constructing 30 all under the same company.
Â?Our project is relatively small compared to most other facilities,Â? said Smith. Â?But it does have the ability to expand down the road.Â?
SCI has designed and managed box programs in arenas and stadiums around the world. They are the largest company in Canada specializing in entertainment and sport stadium venues.
Corporate suite-club seat programs are currently in place in a number of OHL venues including Barrie, Sarnia, Guelph, Erie and Ottawa.
