NJ.com reports that "the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority — which oversees the Meadowlands for Gov. Chris Christie's administration — has reached a deal with the Prudential Center that grants the arena in Newark official hosting rights to the Izod Center's events calendar." The deal is expected to be announced today according to NJ.com and would lead to the venue's closure at the end of the month.
All scheduled events at the Izod Center would be moved to Newark's Prudential Center. The Sports Authority board is scheduled to vote on the deal later today, but bear in mind Christie has appointed each and every member of that board.
Local lawmakers are trying to stop the deal from going down. Some of them claim there have been ethics violations as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' (a close friend of the Governor's) Legends Entertainment outfit stands to indirectly gain from such a deal. “What’s troubling is the surprise nature of the announcement,” state Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) told NJ.com. “Now, suddenly closing it means the company Mr. Jones invests in has the opportunity to do even better?” Wisniewski asked. “You have to ask the question — and I am not saying I know the answer — but you have to ask the question: ‘To what degree does the governor’s relationship with Mr. Jones have to do with the decision to shut down the Izod center and, indirectly, benefit Mr. Jones?”
Stay tuned for more on this developing story.