The MGM National Harbor VIP Lounge, new at Capital One Arena. (Courtesy Monumental Sports & Entertainment)
Venue managers know it’s tough to be a fan and run an arena at the same time, especially when your team is winning and it interrupts construction schedules.
That’s how Capital One Arena General Manager Michele Powell felt last spring when two of the arena’s home teams made the playoffs and one won a championship.
“They always say whenever you have something major planned, your team is going to win and make the run,” Powell said with a laugh. “There are consequences when your team wins. It’s a double-edged sword.”
Although she was elated that the Washington Wizards made the NBA playoffs and that the Washington Capitals not only got to the NHL playoffs but won their first Stanley Cup, she knew what that meant for the $40 million renovation planned for the 20,000-seat venue.
It had to be pushed back.
Construction could have begun in April if neither team had advanced past the first round, but it didn’t start until June 12 because of the hockey team’s success.
“The schedule definitely got crunched. We closed down for two- and three-week periods,” Powell said.
She was biting her nails the whole time, worried that she would have to move or cancel concerts during the renovation. Luckily for the venue, the entertainment schedule didn’t have to change during the spring, summer and fall months.
The renovation was completed Oct. 3, and the only major snag was not completing six of the 24 concession stands that were getting face-lifts.
Aramark runs the concessions for the venue, and Liz Noe is Aramark’s resident district manager at Capital One Arena, meaning she’s in charge of food and beverage decisions.
“We ran through one of the most successful years we’ve had on the ice ever,” Noe said, highlighting that it took tons of teamwork and patience once construction finally began.
“We broke apart the work. We had a rock-star construction crew, and you had to have that from the very beginning,” she said.
Most of the concession stands were renovated, as well as two clubs and the suites. It’s hoped that the six stands that still need work will be completed next spring, Noe said.
Perhaps the biggest change was installing a self-serve beer wall. “The beer wall was historically a 20-foot concrete wall on the 400 level that was hiding a massive walk-in cooler,” Noe said.
They wanted to make something eye-catching out of the wall, and it made sense to do something with food or beverage since a walk-in cooler was behind the concrete, she said.
“There’s 21 taps on the wall,” she said.
Noe said keeping a positive attitude was also important throughout the process. “You become successful no matter what your time line is,” she said. “You’re only successful based on the people you surround yourself with.”