Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition May 2018
Major concerts, family shows, and sporting events have a home in Edinburg. Including commencements, conferences, corporate events, and political functions, too.
On April 18, 2018, officers and executives of the Bert Ogden Arena hosted the second hard hat tour at the new and under construction sports and entertainment facilities in the Rio Grande Valley. Everyone is saying that this facility is the most innovative, dynamic sports arena in all south Texas.
A selected group of the media and community leaders attended the tour; they witnessed the advances in the construction of the Bert Ogden Sports Arena. The arena was baptized by Alonso Cantu, Chairman of Lone Star National Bank in honor of Mr. Bert Ogden, the father of Janet who lost his life with his wife in a car accident. I won’t go much into the story because this makes the Vackars sad, especially Janet.
But the fact that the arena’s name is Bert Ogden, Mr. Ogden is still with us, it’s just like he never left.
Robert Vackar and his wife Janet were present during the tour, where it was said that the arena was going to be the largest indoor event venue in deep south Texas. The arena is already making an impact in the Edinburg area and the region. The quality of life improves when you have a venue of this magnitude next to your home. The city of Edinburg aside from being revitalized is now part of a competitive map nationwide.
Janet said, “It’s just wonderful, it is a state-of-the-art arena.” She continued, “Alonso took great care in going around deciding what goes where and just making it better.”
Robert said that the venue has already injected millions of dollars into this economy and added several thousand jobs. “It’s going to be a big economic boom to Edinburg and the Valley.” He continued, “I think that everybody living in the Valley is going to be very, very proud,” Robert said.
So, it’s no secret that Bert Ogden Arena will serve as a premier destination for sports and live entertainment, drawing year-round attendees.
The venue features 9,324 seats and will serve as the official home of the NBA Development League Rio Grande Valley Vipers – an affiliate of the Houston Rockets.
Inside, the arena provides exceptional unobstructed views for 9,324 fans on three levels of seating, including 15 private suites and 8bunker/club suites.
All seats are comfortably designed, measuring 48 inches from front to back of each seat to offer ample legroom.
Alonso Cantu is a visionary businessman who for more than three decades has brought unique projects to South Texas. Aside from the Bert Ogden Arena, he built the H-E-B Park, the home of the Rio Grande Valley Toros Football Club, a franchise of the United Soccer League (USL) and a hybrid affiliate of the Houston Dynamo FC, H-E-B Park provides a unique opportunity with in-season and off-season practice fields and luxury accommodations onsite.
Guests will enjoy the best restaurant quality concessions such as Luby’s and Fuddruckers and renown restaurants like Il Forno, and Taco Palenque, among others.
Without having opened its doors, The Arena hopes to display a parade of stars which had never visited the Rio Grande Valley and usually only perform in international stages.
‘El Sol de Mexico’ (The Sun of Mexico), Luis Miguel, will perform on August 31 and will delight everyone.
In addition to this unique show, south Texas and northern Mexico will have the presence of one of the most prestigious exponents who draws the youth with his music. J Balvin will perform at the Bert Ogden Arena on October 6; they say it will be three hours of intense music and energy.
Bert Ogden Arena is located in Edinburg, off Interstate 69, a focal point and major thoroughfare of the Rio Grande Valley. See you there!
