The Evansville Redevelopment Commission (ERC) voted unanimously to
direct Arena Project Director John J. Kish to begin negotiations with
VenuWorks for management and coordinated operations of the new
Evansville Arena, which will open this November. VenuWorks, based in
Ames, Iowa, manages 36 facilities in 17 communities.
“I am
pleased that the Redevelopment Commission heeded the recommendation to
select VenuWorks to manage the new Evansville Arena,” said Evansville
Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “VenuWorks has a proven track record of
successfully opening new facilities in communities similar to
Evansville, and I believe they have what it takes to help the City make
the new Evansville Arena a great success.”
The decision
to recommend VenuWorks to the ERC was made by a non-partisan committee
that, according to Kish, unanimously agreed that VenuWorks was the best
choice to manage and operate the new Evansville Arena. “The committee
was particularly impressed by the commitment and involvement from
VenuWorks’ senior management, as well as the company’s focus on
mid-sized communities,” Kish said.
Steven L. Peters, CFE,
president of VenuWorks, is enthusiastic about the opportunity to manage
Evansville’s new arena. “This community is building a wonderful new
facility that holds tremendous promise for the future of Evansville. We
are honored that VenuWorks was selected to manage the arena and we will
utilize our experience and resources to ensure it is a success.”
The
new Evansville arena will be the region’s center for sports and
entertainment, designed to host basketball, hockey, concerts,
exhibitions, and shows for audiences as large as 11,000.