Hardly a day passes without a new business deal including Oak View Group (OVG). The industrious venue management company has made an agreement with Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), and the City of Hamilton over major renovations at the FirstOntario Centre.
Located at southwestern Ontario in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the FirstOntario Centre already houses a variety of concert and sporting events each year. However, by investing $280 million in renovation, OVG aims to turn the venue into an 18,000-capacity arena with a fully modernized facade, premium seating, upgraded sound and lights, improved sightlines, and expanded concourses, as well as fully revamped clubs, suites and artist lounges.
In a joint statement released by all three parties, they say the renovation will serve to create “a venue that will be the centerpiece in revitalizing the city’s position as a premier music, sports and entertainment destination.” The future version of the FirstOntario Centre is compared to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, gaining potential to attract and host larger shows.
The venture, dubbed The Hamilton Arena Project, will be designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and is part of a larger downtown revitalization initiative known as The Commons.
Live Nation will join the project as OVG’s booking partner with the goal of bringing concerts and other live events to Hamilton.
“Hamilton is already an important entertainment destination in Canada, and the city deserves a state-of-the-art venue that will attract the world’s best events to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” said Tim Leiweke, OVG Chairman & CEO.
“We are committed to delivering a facility that will completely transform the downtown area with its accessibility, technology forward improvements and priority on sustainability. We are confident the Hamilton Arena Project will bring vitality and economic development to Hamilton,” he added.
City of Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said that an exciting redevelopment would create a world-class entertainment destination for the people of Hamilton and the entire region, contributing to the economic and cultural vibrancy of their city.
“Born and raised in Hamilton, I have many treasured memories in this city’s arena, concert hall and convention centre,” PJ Mercanti, HUPEG president and CEO, said. “I’m honored to lead our Precinct Group and work alongside OVG Canada and the City of Hamilton. We are deeply committed to this city and its future, and we look forward to driving the changes that will bring a new vibrancy to the downtown core.”
Construction on the FirstOntario Centre is scheduled to begin in 2024 spring and is anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2025, but its sister venues, the FirstOntario Concert Hall and the Hamilton Convention Centre, will remain open and continue to host events during the arena’s renovation.
