Hamilton Arena Previews Floor Suites

Arena known as FirstOntario Centre and Copps Coliseum opened in 1985

A hard hat, protective boots and orange reflective vest were mandatory wear for Monday’s media tour of Hamilton arena, formerly known as FirstOntario Centre and Copps Coliseum.

About 40 miles west of Toronto, Ontario, the arena is now gutted after Oak View Group broke ground in May on the $200 million-plus renovation, designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and constructed by Ellis Don.

The yet unnamed Hamilton arena, which first opened in 1985 with a full capacity of 19,000, is on track to reopen in all its modern glory in November 2025 with a capacity of 18,000.

“We are active in the marketplace on naming rights, on all of our sponsor levels and all of our premium hospitality,” says Oak View Group Canada president Tom Pistore. “We have a deposit campaign right now for the venue. It is venue-premium focused today, not tenant-focused.”

Denver-based OVG, which owns VenuesNow, opened a Canadian office in Toronto of three dozen people to manage this project, including sponsorship, naming rights, premium suites and membership, , opened a Canadian office in Toronto of three dozen people to manage this project, including sponsorship, naming rights, premium suites and membership, and other Canadian interests.

As construction workers labored, and “caution” tape cordoned off areas, along with other prominent signs, VenuesNow was guided through the upper and lower bowls and concourses, showing the completed interior demolition, and told what would be built in its place from a restaurant and suites to concessions and realigned aisles. Renderings of the final looks were on display on easels to aid in the vision.

Construction is in early phases of the $200 million-plus renovation of FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, which is set to reopen in fall of 2025. (Karen Bliss / Staff)

“So, this is a reno. However, it’s a total transformation of a building,” OVG’s Paul Young, senior vice president of project management, said after the noisy walk-through.

“This building’s going to be taken down to its bones and rebuilt from the inside,” says Young, who prefers to call it a brand-new arena. “The exterior will look materially the same, with a paint refreshing.”

All of the seats, finished floors and ceilings, concessions and signage, suites and a club were removed over the past four months, leaving essentially just the concrete and steel — and working elevators. Now the fun stuff begins — the creation of the state-of-the-art new venue option that will attract concertgoers from the Golden Horseshoe — Oshawa to St. Catharines-Niagara, including the Greater Toronto Area — as well as the US., from Buffalo, New York, where Canadians will often cross the border for shows.

“Everything in this building will be on par with whatever brand-new buildings are out there in the world now, whether it’s Scotiabank (Arena, in Toronto) or whatever modern arena,” says Young. “Same food and beverage, same food and beverage technology, same ticketing technology, same Wi-Fi technology, same safety and building operational technology. Everything in the building becomes effectively brand new.

“So the fan experience here for Pearl Jam is the same as it would be for a new building for Pearl Jam somewhere else,” he said.

Almost. One exception to the Hamilton arena are lower-bowl viewing suites — 10 in total — situated a few feet above floor level.

“Traditionally, there’s been bowl viewing suites, and then there’s been bunker suites that are underneath on the lower level,” says Young. “What we’re doing here is taking the bunker suite that’s on the lower level, below the seating bowl, and moving it forward at an elevation of approximately three feet, so that those former bunker suites now have a full view to the bowl almost at floor level. You’ll be just above the standing height of a floor person. You’ll have an unobstructed view and the ability to go back down into that lower-level club area.”  The Petersen Event Center, the 12,500-capacity home of the University of Pittsburgh, has a similar concept in its Courtside Suites, which also take up one sideline.

Pistore says the venue is not only being geared to the suite holders or those who can afford tickets in the lower bowl.

“We’re not treating the upper bowl any differently than the lower bowl,” he said. “Some of our clubs would have a differentiated experience, but as a base level coming in, this is going to be a great venue for everybody and our sightlines are going to be great for concerts and live entertainment.”

While the arena has been home to Hamilton’s minor league hockey, elite basketball and professional lacrosse teams, OVG has taken a “music-first” approach to the redesign with attention to improved acoustics from solid surfaces to the rafters; ease of load-in, roof requirements for stage production, and what they’re calling “star” rooms, four dressing rooms and a green room, including a stage-accessible lounge for artists.

“The artists themselves are also consumers of your venue,” Young said. “So, in addition to the ‘Star Lounge’ concept, there’s a whole lot of work going on behind the scenes to improve the ability to rig and hang a show.”

OVG has partnered with Live Nation for bookings — which does not exclude other promoters coming into the building, Pistore said. “We want to become a destination for acts. This isn’t just a Hamilton venue. We think we’re going to serve a greater GTA and Golden Horseshoe. So having Live Nation with us is obviously very powerful, but it’s not exclusive from a tour promoting perspective.”