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MCI Center May Be Delayed In Opening Next Year

Despite the continuing opinion that the Bullets new arena will be open in time for the start of next season, now comes word that construction might not be done in time after all. And I think that's hogwash.

First, the details. Bullets' owner Abe Pollin is now hedging his bets by saying: "I've said all along it will open in the fall of 1997, and it will open in the fall of 1997. When in the fall of 1997 will obviously depend on the kind of winter we have." That means that it would take over two years from the groundbreaking ceremony to complete the project. If you ask me, that's a bunch of hooey. I've seen more complex projects go up much faster than that. The concrete frame is not scheduled to be completed until April, in part because it's difficult to pour concrete in cold conditions.

Of course, it doesn't help that it took nearly 10 months just to dig the hole in the ground where it will stand (in part because the excavation unearthed unexpectedly high levels of soil contamination). I'm sure the NBA offices are not happy about this possible delay. They can get maximum exposure (like Portland's Rose Garden last year) if a state-of-the-art arena opens at the start of the season. And the NBA is probably still banking on it.

The original purpose of yesterday's newsconference was to announce that MCI Center will house a combination sports memorabilia museum/high-tech amusement attraction and the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame and Museum. High-tech attactions at the Gallery, which will charge a cover charge for about the price of a movie ticket, will allow fans to pretend to play basketball against professional stars, listen in on football huddles, shoot soccer goals, and walk through the dugout of the 1927 New York Yankees.

The other large anchor store in the building will be the Discovery Channel store. The 25,000 square-foot Sporst Gallery will be co-owned by Pollin and TeamWorks, L.L.C., and national sports consulting company. Pollin is planning to announce more retail deals in the near future.

wtf 20 December 1996

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