Design

NBC’s partnership with Rockefeller Center dates back to 1933, when the 30 Rock address was first called the RCA Building.

That long history will continue as NBCUniversal announced today a major investment in the infrastructure of its New York operations – committing roughly $190 million to a series of upgrades at the company’s 30 Rock headquarters, as well as at other NBCUniversal locations throughout the city.

 To kick things off, NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke joined the co-hosts of Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates Cat Cora and Curtis Stone to knock through a wall, and start construction on the company’s new commissary.

The project, which is expected to wrap-up in the second quarter of 2014, includes the renovation of approximately 1.2 million square feet of space within 30 Rock, and upgrading the technical capabilities of its Manhattan facilities to best-in-class, state-of-the-art technology.  Plus, in keeping with the company’s “Green Is Universal” initiative, all aspects of the renovation will employ sustainable materials and processes.

“We’re delighted to announce that NBCUniversal is upping the ante in its decades-long relationship with New York,” Pat Fili-Krushel, executive vice president of NBCUniversal, says. “In addition to investing $190 million and contributing to making New York a greener city, we’re building on an 85-year history that stretches back to the earliest days of broadcast entertainment.”

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There have been enough memories at Madison Square Garden to fill a museum, and MSG officials are doing just that!

With the second-leg of the transformation project set for completion in the fall, the “Memorable Moments Every Day” exhibit will debut.

The expanded 6th floor concourse, which already features additional retail stores, restrooms and one-of-a-kind food and beverage offerings, will now include the visual retrospective bringing to life one moment in Garden history for every day of the year.

The retrospective will wrap the entire circumference of the arena, creating a visual calendar of the Garden’s rich history.

“We are honored that Madison Square Garden has played host to so many iconic moments in sports and entertainment history, and value the unique connection fans, athletes and performers have with The Garden,” said Hank Ratner, president and CEO, The Madison Square Garden Company. “Paying tribute to the Arena’s storied history is a priority for us and, as part of the Transformation, we will showcase both the memorable moments that happen every day along with the Garden’s most defining moments. This phase of the Transformation will preserve and celebrate the great history that has made The Garden such a special place for the more than four million people who walk through our doors annually.”

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The idea of building a new Madison Square Garden was floated in recent years. Instead, MSG executives opted for a three-season overhaul to the World’s Most Famous Arena.

The first phase of the Transformation Project has just been completed to coincide with the start of the 2011-12 Rangers and Knicks, assuming there’s an end to the lockout.

FishbowlNY joined several in the media yesterday for a tour of the renovated arena with Madison Square Garden Company president and CEO Hank Ratner.

“A project like this has never been done, an actual arena being transformed,” Ratner says. “An arena [that’s] still hosting two professional sports teams and the busiest concert venue in the world.”

Work on the next two phases will go on during the season, but Ratner says not on game days.

Then, once the Rangers and Knicks seasons conclude, the Garden will, once again, turn the arena into a closed construction zone.

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