It has the look of a $150 million project. It has the look of success.

The arena was built and owned by the City of Ontario and will be the centerpiece of The Ontario Center, which was once the site of the Ontario Speedway. That facility, really ahead of its time, was built on a foundation of red ink and lasted for a little more than 10 years.

That's won't be the case the CBB Arena, which really doesn't have a nickname as yet. It's a 225,000-square foot facility that can seat as many as 11,000 for a concert and almost 10,000 for anything on the ice.

It's unlike anything else in the area, or at least this side of Staples Center. There will be a certain transformation upon entering the building, as though one is being whisked away to a major venue.

There are no sight line issues, thanks to the design of the intimate arena. There will be plenty of spaces for those in wheelchairs; in fact, those in wheelchairs may have some of the best seats in the house.

Certainly, Ontario can be proud of its new crown jewel. ...

Arena, part 2: Opening new arena venues is getting to be an old hat for Dave Oldham, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Reign, the minor league hockey team.

In his career, Oldham's been on hand for the opening of three new stadiums in San Antonio, the Alamodome (football, 1993), Wolf Stadium (baseball, 1994) and the AT&T Center (basketball, 2001).

Oldham also has the only Reign shirt in existence. He bought an orange-and-blue polo at Niketown and had his own Reign logos sewn on. ...