Albany County lawmakers and MVP executives are celebrating the newly minted MVP Arena in downtown Albany.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy joined MVP Health Care President Chris Del Vecchio and arena General Manager Bob Belber to christen the new arena, formerly the Times Union Center.
MVP bought the naming rights last year after the Times Union declined to renew its contract.
McCoy says the agreement, $600,000 a year for five years, includes upgrades to the county-owned venue’s exterior.
“This is a fabric of, just not only the county, but at the Capital District and the people that walk through these doors, we don't only just want you to have a good experience when you get inside the door,” the Democrat said. “We want it to start outside.”
Del Vecchio says the investment in line with MVP’s vision of community health.
“We think this is a place to convene people in a safe environment where we can guarantee a little bit of their safety as they go about their day, whether they're enjoying Siena basketball tonight, coming in for the lacrosse game tomorrow night or the hockey game tomorrow afternoon,” Del Vecchio said.
