Venue News & Notes: Mixed Reviews in Baltimore

A new 18,500-seat arena is in the works in downtown Baltimore, but market conditions are forcing local developers to think twice before submitting proposals to build it. Seven developer teams bid last November to build an arena at various locations throughout the city, and a panel in July selected the site of the existing 46-year-old First Mariner Arena as the best site. All that remains is to receive a bid for the project before Nov. 26.
…Local developers have mixed thoughts about submitting a proposal to build a new 18,500-seat arena in downtown Baltimore, a project that could cost as much as $300 million. One month before bids are due to the Baltimore Development Corp., current market conditions have some developers mulling a proposal in which the BDC is seeking a “major” private financial contribution toward the project…
…Demolition work will wrap up this week on the downtown arena site in Louisville, KY, and initial construction of the $238 million, 22,000-seat facility is officially under way. The Louisville Arena Authority Inc. also unanimously approved Indianapolis-based Patriot Engineering and Environmental Inc. as the project’s special inspections provider…
…A Raleigh, NC-based developer will present plans for a new baseball stadium in Richmond, VA’s Shockoe Bottom this week during a meeting with the Richmond city council. In addition to the construction plan, officials from Highwoods Properties will offer a proposal to turn the area where the city’s current arena, the Diamond, sits into a mixed-use development…
…USA Hockey made it official this week, announcing that Buffalo, NY, will indeed host the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-20 Championship. At a news conference inside the primary host venue, HSBC Arena, lead organizers for the sport’s governing body said Buffalo had been chosen from a list of three finalists.