SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon has faith in the fan experience at the Upstate Medical Arena at The OnCenter War Memorial.
The OnCenter seats only 7,000 people. For some events, arena staff use folding chairs to increase its capacity. It was built in 1951, making it one of the oldest AHL stadiums in the country. Still, McMahon told CNY Central on Thursday that he believes in its ability to bring people together.
“It’s one of the best venues in AHL hockey,” said McMahon. “So it’s not that it’s a neglected facility; it’s a very strong facility. I think the idea is, could you do more with a new facility? And, you know, a really modern fan experience. You probably could do more.”
He also said, “I think if you look at the fan experience, the way that the actual acoustics of the facility, how loud it is for the players, it’s a true home ice advantage.”
On Wednesday, Syracuse Crunch Team Owner Howard Dolgon said the team could have a new, “state-of-the-art” arena someday. He said he believes that the “stars were aligning” to get one.
McMahon said that he and Dolgon meet often and noted the team owner’s interest in a new arena. McMahon said more partners would need to be brought into the conversation before any real movement starts on a new arena.
He said any new arena would likely be a year-round asset to Central New York.
Recently, Dolgon announced a four-year extension with the Crunch’s NHL affiliate, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two will now be affiliated through the 2019-2030 Season, at least.
This is a developing story.