Construction Begins on the GLION ARENA KOBE Project: Next-generation Arena to Accommodate a Variety of Events, Home to B.League's Nishinomiya Storks

We are pleased to announce that construction has begun on the GLION ARENA KOBE Project (1-2, 130-chome, Shinko-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe), developed by NTT Urban Development Corporation (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroshi Tsujigami) and operated by One Bright KOBE Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; President and CEO: Jun Shibuya). The project is scheduled for completion in February 2025 and opening in April 2025, in time for the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.

This project is a privately-established and privately-operated arena project led by a consortium of three companies: NTT Urban Development, Smart Value Co., Ltd. (Head office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Director and CEO: Shibuya Jun), and NTT Docomo, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ii Motoyuki), which won the right of first negotiation in 2021 for the redevelopment project of the Shinko Pier West District (Second Pier) through a public tender conducted by Kobe City.

The planned project site is within walking distance of Sannomiya Station, a major terminal, and is easily accessible from Kobe Airport and the Shinkansen station. It is adjacent to Meriken Park and Harborland, two of Kobe's most famous tourist spots, and is Japan's first waterfront arena surrounded by the sea on 270 degrees.

The development aims to create a "new landmark that we can be proud of for future generations" that will attract visitors not only from Kobe but from around the country and abroad, and that will be bustling with activity on a daily basis even on days when there are no events. The exterior design of this arena, which will open on the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, expresses "the image of spreading emotion and excitement from Kobe and spreading its wings to the world."

Once open, the next-generation arena will accommodate 10,000 people and will be the home ground for the Nishinomiya Storks, a professional basketball team in the B.LEAGUE, and will also accommodate a wide range of events, including various sports, music concerts, e-sports, and MICE. The building will also feature a VIP lounge, providing a new viewing experience, as well as several restaurants with open terraces and open spaces around the arena.

In terms of operation, the theme will be "Raising the heart rate of the world," and the concept will be "The Smartest Arena, connecting software, hardware, digital, and social," and we will work together with various partners to promote this project.

In addition to creating new surprises and excitement through the fusion of sports, entertainment, and digital, Smart Value will pursue initiatives rooted in the Kobe community with a long-term 50-year perspective, aiming to create new urban appeal (regional revitalization) and solve social issues based on the business partnership agreement it concluded with Kobe City to "create the future of the city center and waterfront area."

Project Overview

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