Venue News: Atlanta Braves Eye New Stadium, Move to Cobb County; Jaguars Inch Closer to EverBank Field Upgrades

Compiled by Karen Hogan, Associate Editor, Sports Video Group

The Atlanta Braves organization is moving to Cobb County where it will build a $672 million Major League Baseball stadium and integrated mixed-used development. 

The Braves organization will not extend its lease at Turner Field upon its expiration at the end of 2016. The estimated cost of the stadium, parking and related infrastructure is roughly $672 million. Details on financing for the project have not yet been released.
According to the team, Turner Field needs $150 million in infrastructure work, none of which would significantly enhance the fan experience. If the Braves were to pay for additional projects focused on improving the fan experience the additional costs could exceed $200 million…

…A $63 million upgrade of EverBank Field moved closer to the end zone Thursday after City Council members cleared the way for a final vote next week. Jaguar’s owner Shad Khan, who appeared at a special City Council meeting to make a pitch for the improvements, would pay $20 million of the tab. The city would shoulder the remaining $43 million by issuing debt and repaying it with hotel bed tax money already going each year for stadium work. Before the 13-1 vote advancing the legislation, council members raised questions about whether the Jaguars are committed long-term to the city, what the “water features” will be in the proposed new fan zone, and who would get revenue from the advertisements flashed across the gigantic video boards slated for the stadium…

…What do you do when the construction of your big bowl stadium won’t allow you to install WiFi? You start building the biggest DAS you can, to bring as much cellular capacity as possible to the fans who will fill the seats. That problem and solution is now underway in Berkeley, at the University of California’s newly renovated Memorial Stadium. Though it now has a shiny new press box and suites on its west side, the 63,000-seat facility still has its old “big bowl” shape throughout the rest of the facility, an architectural quirk that leaves no place to put WiFi antennas. To try and best overcome the design challenges, Cal and its partner AT&T are currently putting in place as big a DAS (distributed antenna system) as they possibly can, to bring as much cellular capacity as the stadium placements will allow…

…Since its opening in 2005, the University of Missouri Aquatic Center had also been known for its problematic acoustics. With its soaring glass and concrete walls, massive steel roof, and abundance of reflective surfaces, announcements were literally drowning in the din. That is, until the Center installed their new Iconyx digitally steered column array system. The system is comprised of a single Iconyx IC16-R-II column in the center, flanked by IC8-R-II columns on either side. A CFX218S dual 18-inch subwoofer adds low end punch and power to pump up the crowd.