The Amway Center has been named the “Facility of the Year,” at a sports industry annual awards ceremony Wednesday night.
The announcement was made by Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily at the prestigious Sports Business Awards in New York City, which annually recognizes excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports.
Along with Amway center, other finalists for “Facility of the Year” included: Livestrong Sporting Park, Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
“We are extremely honored and humbled that Amway Center has been named as the best sports facility in the nation for 2012,” said Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins, who was on-hand to accept the award. “The judges have recognized that the facility has been designed and operated with the patron in mind first. We thank Street and Smith’s for this honor and congratulate all of the other very worthy finalists on the success of their facility.”
The Amway Center was opened in the fall of 2010 and Orlando Magic served as the developer.
The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena.
