By Steve Bell
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-609397.mp3
Kansas City, MO – Kansas City's mayor, city manager and council members donned hard-hats Thursday to get a look at progress on Sprint Arena. They were joined by representatives of the media.
Arena General Manager Brenda Tinnen welcomed the group, assuring them that all is on schedule for an opening the second week in October.
The visitors got a look at the newly-poured hockey rink floor, and some of the newly-installed dark green cushioned seats, which were protected from the construction dust and grime by plastic sheeting. Manager Tinnen touted some of the event-friendly features of the arena, including flexible seating and an overhead support system that can hold 435,000 pounds of rigging.
Assistant General Manager David Anderson bragged about the new facility's sight lines. He said the arena has great intimacy and there "isn't really a bad sead in the house."
Mayor Mark Funkhouser reiterated that the arena will need a major league anchor tenant within two years but was in a good mood and kept his comments to reporters brief. "I'm ready for the roar of the crowd," he said.