In the countdown to the opening of The Dollar Loan Center, we will check in with various arena stakeholders to hear their three favorite features in the building. The Dollar Loan Center has no shortage of elements that make it unique – from the broadest ideas like its location to the smallest details like building signage.
First up is Vegas Golden Knights President and Co-Chief Executive Officer Kerry Bubolz, who has been closely involved in the project since it was only an idea. His fingerprints are all over the facility, but we made him narrow it down to his three favorite things:
1. The Neighborhood
“The very first time I was on the site was in May of 2019, at the old Henderson Pavilion, when we hosted a playoff watch party there. I remember parking my car and as I got out, I saw all these people walking, pushing strollers and riding bikes to get to the watch party. It was almost like a Wrigley Field or Fenway Park environment, but in a residential area where all these families could walk to the site.
“It’s a really unique setting because on one side you have The District, with the casino and all the shopping and dining options there. But 70 percent of the venue is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, and we are excited to be part of that. That’s a big reason why we created locations for more than 100 bikes around the arena.”
2. The Tiltyard
“Our original vision called for a singular entry point to the venue, the way Toshiba Plaza serves T-Mobile Arena. Our partners at Whiting-Turner took that idea to another level, really allowing us to be more creative and do more things than we had thought possible.
“The Tiltyard is our Modern Medieval name for the main plaza, which is flanked by palm trees and seating areas on both sides. We wanted to be able to program events outside like concerts, farmer’s markets or wine tastings. The way Whiting-Turner first presented the concept in April 2020 was even better than we had imagined, all the way down to the smallest details like using traffic-graded concrete on the sides so that you could park food trucks there. That was something we hadn’t even considered.”
3. The Modern Medieval Theme
“More than a year ago, we had this idea that we wanted to immerse our guests in the Knights’ surroundings. But we didn’t want to just say it – we wanted to go all-in. I’m excited for the way that has come together with what we call the Modern Medieval theme.
“When you see it visually come to life, it’s really special. We took walls that might only have a section number on them and made them tie in to the rest of the building. Our Creative Director, Brady Hackmeister, made sure that everything you see will have that Modern Medieval branding. And Tyler Ferraro, our Manager of Entertainment Experience, took us through an exercise that let us lend Medieval terminology to almost everything in the building. It all makes for a special experience for our guests.”