Venue News: Nets Execs Relocate to Brooklyn; K-State To Unveil Stadium Expansion Plans

The New Jersey Nets are taking another step closer to becoming Brooklyn’s first professional sports team since the Dodgers walked away from the borough almost 55 years ago. According to sources, the team is relocating its corporate headquarters from East Rutherford, NJ, to Downtown Brooklyn, where the organization is taking 35,145 square feet at the office building 15 MetroTech Center.  The Nets will take possession of the office space in the coming months in preparation for the 2012-2013 season. That season, which begins this October, will be the first the team will play at the Barclays Center. According to Patrick Rees, a spokesman for the Nets, the team will move into the new space at 15 MetroTech in phases and will keep existing space that it has at the building 390 Murray Hill Parkway in East Rutherford, though its headquarters will now be at the Brooklyn location…

…Kansas State will unveil plans this week for a $75 million expansion project for Snyder Family Stadium that would create luxury boxes and a press box that would span the entire length of the stadium’s west side, according to sources close to the program. Sources are optimistic that K-State can break ground on the project as early as this summer, with construction taking place around the current press box, leaving it available for use during the 2012 season. The expansion calls for a total renovation to the press box, a five-story structure that was built in 1993.The new structure will stretch from end zone to end zone. It will include additional club-level seating, suites, and a new working press area, as well as several other updated amenities…

…The Phoenix Suns are constructing 16 theater-style boxes at US Airways Center to replace eight larger luxury suites. The new four-seat boxes, set to open in February, will include access to an upscale food buffet and open bar. They are aimed at offering buyers a smaller, cheaper option than traditional suites at the downtown arena. According to the team, the more intimate boxes may appeal to small and midsize businesses that might not need or be able to afford large suites…

…Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi and brother Mark Wilf met with Sens. Julie Rosen and Dave Senjem to discuss the team’s work on presenting a package to the Legislature for a vote on public funding for a new stadium. Stadium backers in the Legislature hope to release a proposal in bill form, identifying both a specific site and a way to cover the state’s share, in advance of the legislative session that begins on Jan. 24. The team’s lease at the Metrodome expires on Feb. 1, essentially turning the Vikings into a free agent without a home. The Wilf family has said all along that they are committed to getting a deal done to keep the team in Minnesota long-term. Zygi Wilf said the team remains committed to Ramsey County and Arden Hills, but is keeping all of its options open, including proposals in Minneapolis. The only sure thing, he said, is that all the sites are in Minnesota…

…The San Jose Earthquakes’ quest for a soccer-specific stadium has hit yet another speed bump. The club, which currently plays at Santa Clara University’s football stadium, had hoped to break ground on a 18,000-seat soccer stadium within the next few weeks. However, residents of the Coleman Avenue site in San Jose are trying to overturn the development permit. The residents’ appeal will be heard by the San Jose planning commission Jan. 25; they are seeking further studies on noise, light, and traffic. Team officials previously had agreed not to stage concerns at the proposed stadium. The Earthquakes hope to begin play in the new stadium at the launch of the 2013 season. Any delay of significance, at this point, would endanger such a deadline.

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