INGLEWOOD, CA-Executives from Madison Square Garden Co. unveiled a first look at the $50-million revitalization of the Forum yesterday. They also said the revamped venue will reopen January 15, 2014 with a show by the Eagles, who will perform for three nights. 

MSG acquired the Forum in June, 2012 for $23.5 million from the Faithful Central Bible Church, which purchased the facilty in 2000 and used it for church services while also leasing it for concerts and sporting events. The one-time home of basketball's L.A. Lakers and hockey's L.A. Kings, the Forum was eclipsed when Staples Center opened in downtown L.A., with the sports teams decamping in 1999.

“Since we first explored the opportunity to acquire the Forum and expand the Madison Square Garden Co.'s presence on the West Coast, our vision has been clear: return the venue to its celebrated position as one of the most beloved and well-known venues in the country for the benefit of the community, fans and performers for generations to come,” says James L. Dolan, executive chairman, the Madison Square Garden Co. “We are pleased with the substantial progress on our ambitious plans, and starting with the Eagles in January, the Forum will return to its rightful position as a thriving destination for both artists and music fans.”

MSG will maintain corporate offices at the Forum, its first presence on the West Coast, and work closely with Irving Azoff, who turned Live Nation into an entertainment behemoth before exiting that company as chairman/CEO at the end of 2012. Azoff has since focused on music management, with clients including the Eagles, Van Halen, Steely Dan and Christina Aguilera.

Dolan credited Azoff with bringing the project to MSG's attention. “He knew that the Forum was a venue that artists loved to play, and that MSG could make this historic venue great again.” He added, “We have no doubt that Irving will play an important role in helping us meet our ambitious goals, and that his vision and insights will ensure that the revitalization of this iconic arena is a total success.”

Azoff called the Forum “an iconic Southern California landmark” which he claimed “is sure to become the world's quintessential music-focused venue. Since the 1970s, the Eagles have a long and rich history with the Forum. The building has played an important role in the growth and development of the band from their early Southern California roots to becoming a worldwide touring phenomenon. With its unsurpassed acoustics and warm intimate arena experience, it's always been the band's favorite building to perform in and we're anxiously looking forward to kicking off the next era of the Forum this January.”

The Forum will book a broad scope of events with a focus on music and entertainment, including concerts, family productions, award shows, television/film productions, as well as a few select sporting events. The company will make further bookings announcements in the future as a full event schedule develops.

BBB Architects, the firm handling MSG's current transformation of New York's Madison Square Garden arena, is directing the Forum revitalization, which is inspired by the venue's original 1967 design, and includes upgrades to the entire venue site.

The Forum also named Chase as a corporate partner. In addition to signage inside and outside the Forum, a featured lounge, named “Chase Lounge,” will be located on the opposite side of the venue's Forum Club, and will only be accessible through select affiliations with Chase. The exclusive lounge will have a dedicated entrance plus what's termed “top tier food and beverage” amenities. Chase is also involved with the Madison Square Garden revamp, and will unveil the Chase Bridges and Chase Square as part of MSG's third and final phase of its Madison Square Garden arena transformation.

The interior of the Forum bowl will be completely modernized and feature flexible seating, ranging from 8,000 seats to 17,500 seats, enabling the venue to attract a wide variety of events. The arena will be updated with technically advanced support systems featuring a unique “sky deck” to accommodate the largest touring concerts, productions and events.

The venue will also have one of the largest general admission floors in the country, with approximately 8,000 square feet of new event level hospitality offerings, including food and beverage, merchandise and bathrooms. A tinted glass wall will separate this concession area from the arena floor; ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the performance. Forum VIP customers will have access to the historic Forum Club, which will be completely re-imagined with thematic music-inspired detailing, and the new Chase Lounge.

The new Forum will include seven dressing rooms that feature upgraded amenities. In addition, there will be a dedicated area for production and touring crews, which will include an exclusive dining space. Among the key features that will be resurrected in an effort to replicate the original design is the exterior color of the venue, which will be repainted to the 1960s “California sunset red.”

The revitalization of the 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace surrounding the perimeter of the building will offer upgraded food and beverage amenities. In addition, a distinct and iconic Forum marquee that reflects the architecture of the venue will be located at Manchester and Prairie.

The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd. near the site of the Hollywood Park racetrack and casino. The Forum revitalization is just one step in the redevelopment of the area. The racetrack will hold its final racing season this Fall and give way to a massive mixed-use complex.

The Madison Square Garden Co. just completed a billion-dollar revitalization of the iconic Madison Square Garden arena in New York City, only to learn this week that its lease will run out in a decade, causing the arena to give way to a revamped Pennsylvania Station. MSG owns basketball's New York Knicks, hockey's N.Y. Rangers and the MSG Network. The company also owns and was instrumental in the revitalizations of Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre in NYC. MSG also owns the Fuse music channel, the Wang Theater in Boston and the Chicago Theatre.

The Forum opened in 1967 and has hosted concerts by virtually all the top names in music during its three decades as a major arena. It was also the site of the Lakers vaunted “Showtime” teams, which Magic Johnson led to several NBA championships.

The Forum also hosted the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star games, the 1981 NHL All-Star game, the basketball tournament for the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1989 Pacific-10 men's basketball tournament. The Forum was known as the Great Western Forum for a 15-year period, marking it as one of the first major venues to adopt a corporately-sponsored name.

MSG's purchase and revamp of the Forum had several conditions attached, including mandates to work with the local Inglewood community, a minimum ticket sales guarantee, local hiring, rent-free use of the Forum by the city for charity, and free use of the facility's parking for a farmers market.