
In the case of Woolard, a former City Council president, Owens said she also is re-introducing herself to the electorate. Michael Leo Owens, a political science professor at Emory University, said candidates are jockeying for position in a crowded field, with opponents casting themselves as "defenders of the public purse." "I believe in problem solving not scoring political points," he said. It's about being a good steward of a city-owned asset."īy contrast, Fort said recently, "This is another instance where billionaires are making out like nobody's business and the citizens of the city are getting very little in return."Ĭandidate Peter Aman, Reed's one-time chief operating officer, said there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered before anyone can back or reject the plan and wonders if some are jumping the gun. But she said the project would be a boon to Atlanta's hospitality community. Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms,Ī key negotiator in the deal, is a hearty backer, while competitors including Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Councilwoman Mary Norwood and businessman Peter Aman, have been more sanguine.īottoms, who threw her hat in the ring to run for mayor just days before news of the Hawks deal broke, is also head of the Atlanta-Fulton Recreational Authority that owns Philips and will recuse herself from voting.
Philips arena pro#
Taxpayer funding of arenas is highly controversial, with most economic studies finding they are not wise uses of public dollars, yet the Hawks deal also would be the third major publicly financed pro sports arena project in the Atlanta area in the past few years.Ĭandidates Cathy Woolard and Vincent Fort have come out swinging against the proposal, calling it a giveaway to a billionaire. The dust-up over Philips Arena is a sign the mayor's race is finally capturing political oxygen in the wake of last month's presidential election. These can be used to create endless combinations of lighting effects that have never been seen before, including ripples, strobes, smears and explosions.While Atlanta won't choose a new mayor until next November, the plan to spend millions in taxpayer dollars to renovate Philips Arena is revealing early differences among those looking to succeed Kasim Reed. The new façade lighting is wowing visitors with a palette of more than 16 million colors. Fittingly for a football club, a little teamwork has resulted in a great victory for all parties involved. Philips will also perform all maintenance for the following 10 years. Philips, in collaboration with Belgian company Painting with Light, supplied and installed all the systems in time for the opening of the club. The new lighting system has achieved all goals. The new exterior lighting has transformed the façade into a unique advertising medium that will be seen by passers-by travelling through several traffic routes.

The stadium façade was adorned with 500,000 flexible LEDs, making it possible to project animated messages about events occurring in the stadium. Flicker-free performance ensures super-slow-motion cameras can record flawless footage.



The high-quality sports field lighting produces clear visibility for players and spectators. Philips was bought in to illuminate the entire stadium, and we began by installing ArenaVision floodlights around the playing field. For a stadium of this size, getting the lighting right is vital.
