ATHENS, Ga. — The highly anticipated home opener for the Athens Rock Lobsters has been postponed due to an issue with the occupancy permit for their new arena.
This minor league hockey team, part of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, has been on the road for its first eleven games and was eager to play in front of fans at the Akins Ford Arena, which has a seating capacity of 5,500.
The game against the Blue Ridge Bobcats, scheduled for Friday evening, has been officially delayed, along with a rematch set for Saturday.
The delay stems from the arena’s fire safety system not being fully tested, as noted by Athens-Clarke County Fire Marshal Rick Vaughn.
His comments suggest that the rush to finalize the arena resulted in a failure to secure the necessary occupancy permit.
Other upcoming events in the venue, including a concert by the B-52s planned for December 14th, are also uncertain until the facility receives the necessary clearance.
The Rock Lobsters actually chose their name inspired by one of the B-52s’ most celebrated tracks.
Expressing their disappointment, Rock Lobsters co-owners Barry Cohen and Nancy Peters released a statement saying, “This is an enormous disappointment for our organization, our players, and most importantly, our fans.
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.”
Vaughn went on to explain that inspecting and testing the fire-alarm system is a detailed and time-consuming process.
“It’s complicated, and as large as this facility is, it takes hours and hours to fully test the system,” Vaughn stated.
“Our main concern, as well as that of the Classic Center and the contractor, J.E. Dunn, is life safety, and unfortunately, that is not where it needs to be at this moment.”
