GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids will soon be completely free of smoking.
SMG, the company that manages the arena, announced Tuesday that beginning in September the arena will no longer have a designated area outside the building. Company officials say that the change is being made as part on ongoing security enhancements.
The management will keep in place the policy of not allowing people to re-enter the arena after leaving, so anyone who leaves the arena, for any reason including smoking, will not be allowed back in.
“First and foremost, we work to provide a secure and comfortable environment for all of our guests and employees,” said SMG Regional General Manager at Van Andel Arena Richard MacKeigan in a press release. “It has been a growing trend in the industry, and we feel strongly about this opportunity for security enhancement. We understand this may be an inconvenience for some, however we are confident everyone can agree that safety is paramount.”
Company officials say that removing smoking areas is a growing trend for sports and entertainment venues and similar policies have been adopted at the new Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan Stadium and the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor and Spartan Stadium and the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
You can read all of the Van Andel Arena’s security policies and other procedures at VanAndelArena.com.
