"They need to be replaced": New seats coming to Scotiabank Arena

The next time you sit down in Scotiabank Arena, it could be the last time you end up in that seat.

No, the arena itself isn’t going anywhere, but there are indicators that the seats themselves are.

Earlier this week, ground broke on the Scotiabank Arena Reimagination, the official name for the multi-phase arena renovations over the next few years.

Having first opened its doors in February 1999 as the Air Canada Centre before being renamed its current moniker in 2018, the building is undergoing $350 million in renovations under a three-year plan.

And among those things that will be officially out to door are the arena’s seats, some 19,800 at full capacity.

“Like most things, the seats in the building are original to 1999. And they’ve worked really hard over those 25 years, but, but they need to be replaced,” MLSE chief venues & operations officer Nick Eaves told the media this week.

The move to the new seats isn’t coming in the immediate future; however, the current phase is expected to be done before the NHL and NBA regular seasons begin again in October.

“[The new seats aren’t] in this phase. It’ll be in a future phase, but it’s certainly an important part of reimagining the interior, the whole of the arena,” Eaves added.

Scotiabank Arena currently has a colour-coded scheme divided by price level and location akin to a similar one at Maple Leaf Gardens: Platinum, Gold and Red seats in the lower bowl, with Purple and Greens in the upper deck.

The arena remains under operation throughout the renovations, but select washrooms and food and drink stands will be closed.

One of the other key features of the renovations coming this fall is the MNP Pass Social Club, a ground-level members-only club located in the walkout tunnel behind the players’ benches with an up-close view of NHL and NBA players as they walk out before and after games.

You might also like:
• Leafs, Raptors hope new-look Scotiabank Arena can lure free agents to Toronto