One of the world's most famous arenas, and the second oldest building in the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, Madison Square Garden, will undergo a full-scale renovation, lead by Toronto-based Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects. The target opening will be for the 2011-12 seasons.

"The Garden is the busiest arena in the United States, hosting more than 400 events and nearly 4 million people each year," says Hank J. Ratner, vice chairman, Madison Square Garden and Cablevision Systems Corporation. "Everyone that comes into the building, from first time visitors to VIP clients, from season subscribers to sponsors, from the first row to the last, will benefit from this magical renovation that will ensure that going to an event here is unlike anywhere else."

The renovation will include a redesigned 7th Avenue entrance; new, more comfortable seating with better sightlines; new, wider, and more spacious public concourses with seating areas and city views; LED video systems in HDTV; new food and beverage options.

"Madison Square Garden is unlike any other building in the world. It is a New York treasure with a history that spans more than 125 years and includes political conventions, concerts for New York City, Katrina and Bangladesh and countless spectacular sporting events," says James L. Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden and president and chief executive officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation. " 'Playing the Garden' is the pinnacle of a performer's career – so it is only fitting that we invest in a complete transformation to ensure its lasting prominence in sports and entertainment."

All designs will utilize the Garden's current footprint. Sixty-eight new mid-level suites will be enlarged by 50 percent. Dressing rooms, locker rooms, green rooms and production offices for athletes and performers will be improved. Restrooms will be added as well as a new upper level with a fan and group sales party deck with bars and buffets that replace the existing upper suites. The MSG ceiling will also be restored.

The renovation is slated to begin in 2009. The current MSG was built in 1968.