Changing the game

Over 200 people filled seats in front a small stage outside the Bert Ogden Arena Aug. 27 to witness the opening of the 210,000-square-foot facility.

Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina; Janet Ogden Vackar and Kathey Ogden Powell, daughters of the late Bert Ogden; Robert C. Vackar, CEO of the Bert Ogden Auto Group; Alonzo Cantú, president of Cantú Construction; and his wife, Yoli Cantú, cut the ribbon to represent the official opening of the arena.

Cantú donated the land where the building is located and entered into a public/private partnership with the City of Edinburg, according to an email from Yajaira Flores, director of booking and marketing director for Bert Ogden Arena.

Vipers Arena LLC funded $58 million toward construction of the building and Cantu is leasing the building for the next 30 years from the City of Edinburg, Flores wrote in the email to The Rider last Wednesday.

The City of Edinburg is investing $30 million in the construction of the arena through the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Fund, according to the email.

Molina spoke about the work that Cantú has put into the arena and said that Cantú’s attention to detail shows he is “completely vested in the project.”

The mayor also said the arena will change the entertainment and sports business in the Rio Grande Valley. He said it is the largest indoor arena in South Texas and it will prove to be useful for all kinds of events.

“This place is where 9,000 spectators can comfortably enjoy a show with plenty of legroom,” Molina said, “and there is not a bad view in the house.”

He said the arena will be a place where memories are made. Molina also said it is a “prime location” because it is off Interstate 69C.

“As a mayor of this great city, I can tell you I know it’s going to have a tremendous economic impact on our city,” he said.

Janet Vackar told The Rider she is excited for the arena’s first events and appreciates the work that Cantú has put into the building.

“The doors are open,” Vackar said. “It’s going to be just spectacular family entertainment for everyone to come throughout the RGV. That is why Alonzo designed it, so it could fill up the whole stadium with all kinds of entertainment.”

Vackar also said Cantú made sure that the arena was Valley-made as a way to create more jobs for the area.

“The entire arena was built by the people from the Valley,” Vackar said. “He only hired contractors and subcontractors from the Valley. So, he wants it to be a venue that everyone can profit from.”

She also said that he only used local restaurants in the arena and may add food trucks in the future.

Angelina Villarreal, who graduated from UTRGV last semester with a degree in mass communication, attended the grand opening as Miss Rio Grande Valley 2018.

Villarreal said she was happy to attend the opening and believes it will provide a lot for the Valley. She said her father’s business, AV Plumbing, was a part of the master plumbing for the arena.

“I hope that it will help bring the community together,” she said. “That way, we have more events here and [residents] don’t feel they have to go outside the Valley to do things. But secondly, to improve the economics in the Valley because there are a lot of people who are struggling and it provides a lot of jobs.”

The venue is now the official home of the NBA Development League Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the arena’s website (bertogdenarena.com).

The arena had its first event last Saturday with singer Luis Miguel and will host WWE Live! Sept. 14. Entertainment next month includes singer Romeo Santos on Oct. 20.