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Pegula Sports will relinquish management duties at Rochester arena
Iowa-based VenuWorks has been chosen by the city of Rochester to operate Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial beginning next year. (File photo courtesy of the city of Rochester)
Iowa-based VenuWorks has been chosen by the city of Rochester to operate Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial beginning next year. (File photo courtesy of the city of Rochester)
Pegula Sports will relinquish management duties at Rochester arena
Listen to this articlePegula Sports and Entertainment will relinquish operational control of Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial in 2025, prompting the city of Rochester on Tuesday to issue a Request for Proposals for a new facility manager.
Rochester Arena, LLC, an entity of Pegula Sports, has operated the arena since October of 2019. The facility opened in 1955 and underwent a major expansion and renovation between 1996 and 1998.
Another $7 million upgrade is planned as part of the city’s Roc the Riverway initiative.
The contract between the city and Rochester Arena contained an opt-out option, which the Pegula entity exercised on March 28. Rochester Arena will continue as facility operator through April 30, 2025, followed by a six-month transitional period to the new management firm.
Pegula Sports did not provide a reason for terminating the agreement but emphasized that the Rochester Americans hockey team and Rochester Knighthawks lacrosse team will continue to play at the downtown arena.
“We have made the decision to opt out of our license agreement with the city of Rochester for the operation and management of Blue Cross Arena,” the teams said in a statement. “This opt out is specific to the operation and management of the arena and the Rochester Americans and Knighthawks remain committed to the city of Rochester.
“We look forward to continued conversations with the city of Rochester in the spirit of our great partnership through our teams as both parties do their due diligence throughout the RFP process for management of the arena.”
The RFP seeks quality facility managers to provide operational, sales and marketing services for the arena, which seats just over 10,000 for hockey and lacrosse and up to 14,000 when floor seating is added for concerts and some other events.
As part of the Roc the Riverway plan, a riverside addition would expand the concourse level for an open club-seating concept.
“The Blue Cross Arena is one of the jewels that keeps our city vibrant,” Mayor Malik Evans said. “We continue to build tremendous momentum in redefining our center city as a place where people desire to live, work and play, and the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial is central to that goal.”
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