What the Cordova Arena design would include: 7,500 seats, plaza and flexible uses

The project team presented drawings and operational concepts for the Cordova Arena and the surrounding Downtown Dover district, framing the arena as a flexible venue for sports, concerts, conventions, graduations and community events. "The arena of the phase, 1 is really a 7,500 seat arena," the architect said, describing an 85-by-200 playing surface that can be reconfigured for hockey, indoor soccer, lacrosse or concerts and a plaza designed for pre-event activation.

Designers described a two-level public lobby, a concourse level, hospitality suites, premium seating and event-floor meeting space of about 28,000 square feet for conventions and exhibitions. Don (Perkins and Will) emphasized sight lines, a concealed loading and back-of-house strategy to minimize visibility from Trade Center Drive and plaza activation with restaurants and retail in later phases. The project’s overall site plan anticipates future hotels (targeting higher-end brands), up to ~1,000 residential units in the district and roughly 220,000 square feet of retail/commercial space.