Venue News and Notes: Beijing to Baltimore

Beginning in September, Nortel is launching a three-year project to outfit General Motors Place -- a host site for the the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and home of the Vancouver Canucks -- with the foundation for a complete communications solution. Executive-suite patrons will be able to access instant replays and team and player statistics and order tickets, store merchandise, and concessions

Former Olympic host cities are littered with "white elephants" built in the construction frenzy that precedes the Games, but Beijing is confident its sparkling venues will not meet the same fate...

The NBA and private developers have been signed up to run Beijing's Olympic stadiums and arenas. The Water Cube swimming center, due to become a public pool, raised money by licensing its name for a bottled-water brand. The Bird's Nest is taking bids from companies for naming rights

Three 2012 Olympic venues in London are being evaluated by accountants to see whether they will deliver value for money. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is conducting one of a number of reviews to ensure the venues are being as efficiently as possible and meet both Games and long-term legacy requirements

The University of Kentucky said last week it is considering new basketball and baseball venues. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart has asked the Lexington Center Corp., which operates Rupp Arena, to endorse a study into the feasibility of building a new arena in downtown Lexington

A top planner of the proposed arena in downtown Louisville, Ky., said this week that a new guarantee from the builder caps its price tag at under $240 million. That compares with an estimate of $254 million 18 months ago

The University of Miami Hurricanes open a new football era this season when they make the move to Dolphins Stadium, complete with a ribbon video board, state-of-the-art sound system, and the ability to offer instant replays

Appalachian State and Texas Christian Universities are upgrading their facilities with Daktronics video and scoring systems, new for the 2008 season

Baltimore city officials have put out a call for more arena proposals that would replace the aging 1^st Mariner Arena with an 18,500-seat facility -- one large enough to attract a professional basketball or hockey team.