re: The master plans for future CONCEPT SKC renovations have been revealed

I added “Concept” to the title. Nothing has been approved. No cost announced.

https://hoodline.com/2026/03/pelicans-plot-smoothie-king-center-gut-job-as-lease-clock-ticks/

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. Team officials are pitching it as an early blueprint to guide talks over a long-term lease and how to pay for everything, not as a done deal. For now, the proposal is strictly conceptual, with two alternate design schemes on paper and no public price tag attached, as reported by NOLA.com.

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Equipment And Infrastructure Flagged As Urgent Behind the shiny renderings is a blunt facilities study that calls out gear that has simply aged out. On the list: the arena’s original 1999 sound and public-address system and three walk-in freezers that have been in service for years. The 2016 center-hung video board is also tagged for replacement within the next two years, and portable risers plus exterior lighting are labeled high-priority fixes. According to Sports Illustrated, those technical shortcomings were a key reason the Pelicans pushed for a deeper assessment of the building. Seating, Sightlines And Construction Phases Designers sketched out two different construction approaches, each intended to be tackled in offseason chunks so the Pelicans’ schedule stays mostly intact. Both versions are built around the same idea: move fans closer to the action and carve out more premium club areas. Instead of just stacking on extra rows, the plan reworks the geometry of the lower bowl, a move backers say should sharpen sightlines and pump up the in-arena atmosphere. Sports Business Journal reported earlier that Gensler was first brought in for a facility needs assessment, a step that cleared the way for the more ambitious master-plan work now in play. Paying For It Will Take Politics, Not Just Design One big missing piece is the cost. The master plan does not include a dollar figure, although Pelicans and state officials have said they expect any deal to look a lot like the recent Superdome overhaul, with a mix of team money and public support that would still need a legislative sign-off. Changing the team’s lease terms or tapping public funds would require action from state lawmakers before renovations could move forward. As NOLA.com notes, the plan is already being shopped around to political power brokers and league leadership even as the nuts and bolts continue to be refined. Next Steps And What Fans Should Expect Officials say the master plan will serve as the roadmap for nailing down detailed cost estimates, phasing strategies and permitting timelines before any formal funding request lands at the legislature. If state lawmakers and the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District sign off, architects propose stacking the work into back-to-back offseason phases to avoid sacrificing too many home dates. If that political support does not materialize, the same study could point to other options, including the possibility of a brand-new arena. For now, team leaders are framing the document as a planning tool while they keep talking with the league and state decision-makers about what comes next for the Smoothie King Center.

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This is not exciting at all

Dude seriously, gfy.

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The revocation to the done has bade a massive difference.

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Don't text and drive

Pretty underwhelming

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As long as lease extension signed I don’t care how nice it is but these renderings are more than good enough to keep the Arena viable to attract other events as well as keep anNBA team

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Today’s NBA wants all the bells and whistles. I don’t quite see how adding 2,000 seats to lower bowl and knocking out portions of upper deck does it. If they are also putting in a bid for the 2031 Superbowl. The NFL going to likely ask for some renovations too. It has to go through Jeff Landry and the legislature too. Just a concept right now. May not even happen. Still a long way to go. Cost will be key. How much money is Benson willing to put up for the projects?

The plan has already been presented to the NBA Commisioner by Mrs Benson and the Governor . I am guessing it is pretty far down the track for approval

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I don’t quite see how adding 2,000 seats to lower bowl and knocking out portions of upper deck does it.

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They aren’t going to sell those seats with any regularity. It does nothing and the state shouldn’t pony up a dime for any of this.

The inability to build out champions square makes me skeptical of this. If I recall when champions square was proposed there were plans to take the old mall and other interior spaces and turn them into inside fan zones, event spaces, etc.

And none of that happened.


Everything they are describing about catching concerts in a tree lined beer garden pre game could be done in champions square.