City officials have begun their search for a naming rights partner on the Downtown Grande Prairie Events Centre.
Formerly known as Revolution Place, and before that, the Crystal Centre, the arena is in the midst of a bit of a minor upgrade thanks to work approved by council over the last year.
Marketing Specialist Christina Kurylo says the agreement with Revolution Auto ended last year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the general economic situation, the city held off a search for a new naming partner until now.
“As things are lifting up, looking more positive, and concert promoters are starting to chat again… we think this is a fantastic time to start the search for a new partner,” she adds.
She adds that despite recent partnerships ending up being lengthy, with Revolution Place displayed on the side of the building for over six years, it is an open-ended discussion. She adds, however, with the visibility of the building, they tend to aim for that multi-year deal.
“They do last longer term, so we are looking for a longer-term partner, definitely not a one-year turnaround time,” she adds.
In late 2020, city councillors approved just over $225,000 for work to be completed on a loading dock for the two-decade-old building. However, they voted down the option to borrow $2.75 million for more front-facing renovations.
Council also denied an ask of $55 million, which would have seen the capacity of the arena raised to 5,000 seats, a full-in-the-round second-level concourse area for access to all amenities, as well as additional concessions and washrooms.