For the College Park Skyhawks and the city of College Park, the return of basketball season means so much more than just competition. The Skyhawks are not only putting their best foot forward on the hardwood, but off the court as well.
Community outreach has been a main priority of the organization since its inception, and job creation is a vital part of that vision. The new Gateway Center, home to the Skyhawks, will help generate 100 permanent jobs for the College Park community.
This is significant for a number of reasons. First, the jobs will help spread the word of the franchise and create a larger buzz in the community. Second, the jobs are part of a larger plan to revitalize and redevelop the city.
Gateway Center Arena will add up to 150 new permanent new jobs in the fall and a further 600 temporary jobs on top of that. The $45 million stadium is set to complete its construction in mid-October and has employed hundreds of workers for its continued construction.
Yanous Barner, the manager of the Gateway Center, believes the job opportunities offered at the stadium will make it stand out from the rest.
“It’s going to be a unique entertainment center,” Barner said.
As the Gateway Center is primed to become a multipurpose stadium, jobs will be a constant need. With the stadium planning to host concerts and other events outside of basketball games, the arena will be a venue for all College Park residents to enjoy.
For basketball games, the stadium will use 3,500 seats. For the aforementioned events outside basketball, it will expand to 5,000 seats, driving the need for jobs.
College Park hopes that jobs at the arena will also be a youth driven affair for the community. College Park City Manager Terrence Morre hopes the new jobs will be the first of many.
“College Park is very much a destination for hospitality engagement and we see this as an opportunity to expand offerings on an entertainment basis,” Terrence said.
As the arena continues to develop, the city will look to take advantage of the increased employment in and around the stadium.
“We consider this particular accomplishment a catalyst to help with other contributions to the experience in our community,” Terrence said.
The economic gain the new arena hopes to generate may be the catalyst for new economic opportunities in both the community and future employers in the city. The need for those in the hospitality field may also be a huge opportunity for students at Georgia State, currently studying in the hospitality field.
