Bigger, brighter walkways: MLSE shows off Scotiabank Arena upgrades

Fans astatine Scotiabank Arena for concerts or Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors games volition announcement bigger, brighter walkways and much exertion these days.

But the venue remains a enactment successful progress.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is halfway done the 2nd signifier of its $350-million four-phase renovation to the arena that opened successful February 1999.

“At that clip it was a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, major-market arena,” said Nick Eaves, MLSE’s COO. “Over clip evidently truthful overmuch has happened to alteration the full sport-entertainment experience.”

Renovations to the northbound fractional of the 100 concourse are complete, with wider corridors and an expanded Gate 1, 1 of the large introduction points to the arena. LED screens crossed the ceiling and displays connected the walls volition trumpet what’s on, arsenic good arsenic “partner content.”

“The acquisition starts arsenic you’re approaching the beforehand door,” said Eaves.

The northbound conception of the concourse — astir fractional of the arena connected the crushed level — has already been completed, with crews moving astir immoderate 50 concerts astatine the gathering since the extremity of the Raptors’ and Leafs’ past season

Concourses person been somewhat widened, by stealing abstraction from washrooms (although the fig of washroom fixtures remains the same). Directional signage is besides clearer.

There is besides a caller all-gender washroom, with floor-to-ceiling stalls, with different successful the works.

“We truly wanted the abstraction to beryllium adjacent much inclusive than it has already been successful the past,” said Eaves.

There is besides a “quiet room” disposable connected the concourse and unfastened to anyone.

Construction volition proceed done the regular play connected the southbound broadside of the 100 level. And the adjacent signifier of the alleged arena, scheduled for adjacent summer, volition spot akin upgrades to the 300 level.

Work connected the suites connected the 400 level is besides planned, arsenic good arsenic putting successful a nine country to regenerate suites connected the 500 level.

Phase 1, present complete, focused connected the 200 level of the arena, a conception chiefly dedicated to luxury boxes, and the instauration of Mastercard Lounge, which allows members to dine portion watching the evening’s action. The level’s distinctive art, related to sports and entertainment, volition beryllium expanded to the remainder of the facility.

Scotiabank Arena had the smallest retail footprint of immoderate NHL oregon NBA venue — “a relation of the existent property we had,” explained Eaves.

The existing squad store has been renovated and a 2nd store installed. One volition absorption connected Leafs oregon Raptors depending connected who is playing that nighttime portion the different displays each of MLSE teams’ merchandise positive concert-related product.

The determination distant from accepted concessions stands, wherever you enactment up and springiness your bid to a server, continues. While they inactive exist, the arena volition person much “grab-and-go” self-service concessions arsenic good arsenic Amazon’s Just Walk Out concessions, wherever you participate by scanning your recognition paper oregon different outgo method and cameras way and complaint you for what you select.

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Test runs showed the exertion worked well. Eaves said hold times person been halved.

The 100 concourse volition diagnostic immoderate 16 quick-service concession stands, two-thirds of which volition beryllium self-service. The remainder volition beryllium accepted concessions, staffed by servers.

For the well-heeled, there’s the caller MNP Pass Social Club connected the lawsuit level, fundamentally a passageway nine that features a marque caller 220-capacity edifice adjacent to the glassed-in subordinate passageway that the Leafs volition usage to instrumentality to the ice. To marque country for the facility, 16 existing event-level “bunker” suites were removed with suite-holders offered archetypal ace astatine rank successful the caller club, which includes 2 backstage rooms for parties.

The solid is specified that portion the diners tin spot the players clearly, the presumption the different mode is limited.

The caller nine offers a assortment of antithetic rank options that includes play seats and entree to the nine opening astatine $30,000.

BMO Field has a akin Tunnel Club for Toronto FC games, arsenic does New York’s Madison Square Garden, Seattle’s Lumen Field and Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, among different venues.

Members tin dine, ticker the players instrumentality to the crystal and past caput to their premium seats.

Last-minutes enactment was underway connected the arena renovations this week up of a media circuit Friday and the Leafs’ location opener Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. MLSE president Larry Tanenbaum checked retired the MNP Pass Social Club earlier successful the week and president and CEO Keith Pelley offered suggestions arsenic helium toured the venue.

The Hot Stove Lounge, portion of Maple Leaf Gardens’ lore, has been remodelled and volition beryllium unfastened connected non-game nights.

The arena “reimagination” volition effect successful reducing the fig of suites successful the gathering from 100-plus to 75, to supply antithetic premium options. As a result, attendance whitethorn summation by a mates of hundred.

The arena underwent different circular of renovations successful 2019, which produced a pedestrian span implicit Bay Street to easiness the post-game travel of fans and an improved video committee connected the westbound broadside of the arena.