Edinburg broke ground Thursday morning on an 8,500-seat stadium ” dubbed the Bert Ogden Arena ” that will host the Rio Grande Valley Vipers basketball team.
When completed, the Bert Ogden Arena will become the Valley TMs largest indoor entertainment venue.
Today is the biggest day in franchise history for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, said team president Bert Garcia. A few miles away, we are wrapping up construction on a state-of-the-art practice facility and community center. Not only does Edinburg serve as the county seat, but now, it is also becoming the sports and entertainment hub of the Rio Grande Valley.
The Vipers currently play at the 6,800-seat State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, which also hosts the Killer Bees hockey team.
Located near the intersection of U.S. 281 and Alberta Road, the new arena will cost approximately $68 million, according to a news release from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Highlights include:
The NBA Development League TMs largest jumbotron, which will be 40 feet by 20 feet
An outdoor shopping mall and restaurants, which will cover 1 million square feet of retail space.
The City of Edinburg and the Edinburg Economic Development Corp. partnered with a private developer ” Alonzo Cantu, the majority owner of the Vipers ” on the arena project.
