The Republican National Committee is in a race to ready Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, host to a watch party for last week’s NBA championship win by the Cavaliers, for Donald Trump’s presidential nomination July 21.
In a first, organizers will have to prepare the arena in just 25 days. No GOP convention has been built in less than five weeks.
“With just four weeks between the Cavaliers’ game six to day one of convention, this marks our fastest-ever convention build-out,” said convention spokeswoman Audrey Scagnelli.
“We have crews working around the clock to make it happen, changing out signage, installing thousands of pounds of lighting, and building a stage from the ground up.”
Worlds colliding – @cavs watch party at the Q, commercial break festivities on @GOPconvention stage! #ALLin216 pic.twitter.com/luqv4L3b1e
— Audrey Scagnelli (@AudreyScagnelli) June 20, 2016
Trump’s “caucus operations team” has joined with 100 RNC staffers and construction workers to set up the stage, delegate area and media center at what most expect to be a raucous event that is already drawing protest threats.
Liberty is enjoying today’s @cavs parade #RNCinCLE #ALLin216 pic.twitter.com/RIktXsa6aO
— Kirsten Kukowski (@kakukowski) June 22, 2016
Some of the jobs ahead:
• Raising 140,000 pounds of lighting.
• Inflating 125,000 balloons that will fall on the last night. Elementary and high school students from the Cleveland area will help.
• Building a first-ever marketplace shopping area.
• Transforming three locker rooms to offices.
• Removing more than 3,000 seats for the stage.
“Twenty-five days from now, the space will have undergone a complete transformation,” Scagnelli said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
