Akins Ford Arena in downtown Athens, Ga., was denied its certificate of occupancy Friday, forcing organizers to cancel the local professional hockey team's inaugural home opener.
"This is an enormous disappointment for our organization, our players, and most importantly, our fans," said Rock Lobsters co-owners Barry Cohen and Nancy Peters. "We placed our trust in the promises made regarding the completion of Akins Ford Arena. To see this delay impact our ability to deliver on our vision for hockey in Athens is incredibly disheartening. We were ready to make history tonight, and instead, we are left with unanswered questions and unfulfilled promises."
Athens-Clarke County fire marshal Rick Vaughn told the Athens Banner-Herald that the fire system had not been fully tested.
"We’ve been working with them for quite a while and a lot of progress has been made, however, at this time the fire alarm has not been fully tested for them to safely open the building,” Vaughn said Friday afternoon. “With a fire alarm system, it’s complicated and as large as this facility is, it takes hours and hours to fully test the system.
“Our main concern, and I know the Classic Center and J.E. Dunn’s (the contractor) main concern is life safety and unfortunately at this time, life safety is not where it needs to be,” Vaughn said.
Doug Hansford, the Athens-Clarke County director of Building Permits and Inspections, said Friday that the certificate of occupancy will be issued once the life and fire safety matters are concluded, but he couldn't give an estimate of when that would be.
“We want it to happen,” he said about the opening of the arena.
The Rock Lobsters say the uncertainties are not acceptable.
"The continued postponement raises concerns about Akins Ford Arena's ability to fulfill its lease agreement with the Athens Rock Lobsters, placing a shadow of uncertainty over the remainder of the season," the team said in a release. "The organization remains committed to finding solutions and providing the best possible experience for its players and fans, but the delay poses significant challenges as the team looks ahead."
The Rock Lobsters had planned to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony, red-carpet walk, battle of the bands and pre-game entertainment for fans before the opening game.
