DEL.ICIO.USPhilips Arena gets environmental makeover
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, April 06, 2009
The eight owners of the Hawks and Thrashers can agree on something after all — to make Philips Arena environmentally friendly.
The arena has become the first existing NBA or NHL arena to meet federal environmental operating standards, Rutherford Seydel, one of the co-owners of the teams, said Monday.
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The owners, who call themselves the Atlanta Spirit, have been mired in a legal battle over how much to pay Boston-based co-owner Steve Belkin, for his 30 percent stake in the teams.
But at a press conference Monday, Seydel said all eight owners agreed to take steps to meet the federal standards. Among other things, the arena has new carpet with recycled material, compact-fluorescent lamps and more recycling. Water conservation measures have cut water usage by 2 million gallons over the past 11 months.
“We had a unanimous vote, without even one dissension,” Seydel said. “We’re saving money, which is good.”
Some of the owners have been funneling millions into the teams, which has only added to the ongoing tension between them.
Philips Arena President Bob Williams didn’t say how much it cost to revamp the building, but said the plan was to make the project revenue neutral.
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