The directors of Region 2000’s Local Government Council said Thursday that they need more information before they can pitch the idea of a regional civic center to elected officials.
Liberty University asked the council to coordinate a study to see if a regional civic center could make ends meet with LU as a major user. The first phase, a marketing study, would cost $40,000 to $60,000. Later phases could cost a total of $115,000 to $210,000.
Those costs did not appeal to the Local Government Council board members. They include employees and elected officials of Lynchburg-area localities dealing with tight budgets.
“I think there’s 10 fundamental questions that it shouldn’t cost that much to find the answers to,” said Kimball Payne, Lynchburg’s city manager.
He said those fundamental questions include the financial performance of the proposed center’s closest competitors: Roanoke and Salem civic centers, the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and the Richmond Coliseum.
Payne said that when he had a conference call with Weston Sports Marketing, the firm that would conduct the feasibility study, he asked whether there are any civic centers in the country that operate without subsidies. The Staples Center in Los Angeles and one arena in Chicago were the only ones.
“They said they are familiar with facilities where the operating expenses were being covered by the revenues in the building, … and the debt service was the responsibility of the community,” Payne said.
Most board members were uncomfortable with pursuing a civic center without knowing it would at least break even. “I think that my board feels that right now, it would have to be revenue neutral in order for it to happen right now,” said David Laurrell, Campbell County Administrator.
Bedford County Supervisor John Sharp said the board needs more information on the cost of a civic center. Although a preliminary estimate of $80 million to $100 million was given for a 10,000-seat facility, he said the cost of many materials might have dropped since then.
Board members also said they needed more information about LU’s commitment to the project, including how much the school would pay for the studies and whether it could help with capital.
LU would not own the civic center but has expressed willingness to pay for some of the construction as an advance rent payment.
Sharp said that he and others in the community have wished for a civic center for years.
“This is the first time I thought it’s possible,” he said. “If we have a public-private partnership, we might be able to save the taxpayers money and get something the taxpayers have wanted.”
Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster suggested asking if the firm could have a less expensive study to address basic information the group needs.
The Local Government Council board plans to seek more information and make a decision at its next meeting, in March.
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