Quicken Loans Arena Transformation February 2019 update
On Thursday, prior to their game against the Phoenix Suns, the Cavaliers unveiled the latest addition to the soon to be renovated building – Saucy Brew Works, located on the south side of the arena in what used to be outdoor space.
“What was once a desert with nothing going on at The Q is now a destination,” Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski told 92.3 The Fan.
The new brew pub, featuring eight craft beers, is officially open for business and there is much more to come.
On March 11 the new south entrance to the arena, sponsored by Discount Drug Mart, is scheduled to be completed and officially unveiled. Combined with the addition of Saucy Brew Works, over 6,000 square feet of additional space will have been added to the south end of the arena.
“One of the weaknesses for The Q previously was its lack of public space or gathering spots,” Komoroski said. “Now we’re going to go from among the least amount of public square footage to amongst the most of any arena in the country and this is the start of it all.”
Within the transformation of the arena, which opened in 1994, the Cavs aim to create “destination neighborhoods” that didn’t previously exist by expanding the footprint of the building on the south and north sides and opening the concourses.
“We will have a number of additional neighborhoods throughout the building,” Komoroski said. “What we are trying to do is take a food and beverage stand, where you walked up to it and try and turn it into a destination where we marry gathering spaces with food and beverage and we’ll have that at every level of the building, including up in Loudville.”
In October the Cavs unveiled completely renovated suites as well as four new clubs – the Huntington Legends Club on the north end, Westfield Champions Club on the south end as well as the Chairmans Club (which replaced the Lexus Lounge), and the Bacardi Ocho Signature Lounge across from the new Cavs locker room with views for fans to watch players enter and exit the floor.
Next season a fifth space will open in Loudville that Komoroski alluded to, which is currently covered by a curtain during construction.
“The bowl has always been a strength of the building,” Komoroski said. “It’s been about the rest of the building, so that bowl won’t materially change but we are adding a food and beverage gathering space, I call it Loudville Landing for now, where people can eat, drink, socialize and watch the event below.”
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has invested an additional $45 million on top of the $70 million he originally promised for the project with Cuyahoga County kicking in $70 million bringing the total price tag for the renovation to $185 million and Gilbert’s share to $115 million.
In addition to rebuilding the Cavs locker room and giving the other locker rooms at The Q a facelift last summer, a new players and family lounge was built along with state of the art training facilities – including hydrotherapy – as well as a new weight room.
The most notable change to the arena is taking place on the north side of the building with the installation of a massive glass curtain wall, which will feature a custom LED lighting system to provide additional ambiance both inside and outside of the building.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Komorowski said. “You miss a day, you miss a lot. You walk along Huron every day you see more glass going up and you’re going to see behind it another curtain wall of brushed aluminum. By the end of April, that will be done.
“It’s going to be amazing with that new atrium which will be another 45,000 square feet.”
The goal was to architecturally connect the arena to downtown Cleveland and that has masterfully been accomplished by the reflection of downtown that adorns the curtain daily.
On May 15 the building will once again shut down for the summer so that the concourses, lighting, concession stands, flooring and restrooms can all be redone in time for mid-September.
“The Q will have a whole new look and feel when it is done,” Komorowski said.
