prudentialcenter

Prudential Center opening in Newark October 25th

Prudential Center

When the new Prudential Center arena opens in downtown Newark next month, the city – which spent $210 million in taxpayer dollars on the project – will not be getting one of the arena’s 76 luxury suites.

Some city council members are irate, saying the city deserves one of the boxes that are being sold for $225,000 apiece. Newark could use it to host guests, children or other dignitaries, the council members say. The issue, they say, symbolizes the bum deal the city has cut with the New Jersey Devils over the arena.

Some council members say they’ll boycott opening night – Oct. 25 when Bon Jovi performs.

“To me, the height of disrespect is the city of Newark has put into the project $210 million – which is the baseline – and the Devils have not given us a box,” Council President Mildred Crump said. “They’re dissing us at a level that’s disrespectful.” [NJ.COM]

Dissing you? nice.

The Prudential Center (nicknamed “The Rock”) is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena being built in Newark, New Jersey for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League…..The arena will open on October 25, 2007 with a series of concerts by New Jersey rock group Bon Jovi, featuring a star-studded lineup of opening acts, including Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Daughtry, The All-American Rejects and New Jersey’s own My Chemical Romance. The first two concerts will be followed by the first Devils home game on October 27 against the Ottawa Senators, who were the Devils’ last opponent at Continental Airlines Arena. [Wikipedia]