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City of Rochester selects Iowa-based firm to manage downtown 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)
City of Rochester selects Iowa-based firm to manage downtown arena
Listen to this articleAn Iowa-based facility management company has been chosen by the city of Rochester to oversee operations of Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
VenuWorks, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, will take over management at the city-owned arena following the conclusion of Rochester Americans’ 2024-25 American Hockey League season.
The initial agreement is for five years, with two additional five-year extension options.
Rochester Arena, LLC, a division of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, notified city officials in April of its intent to opt-out of the management agreement in 2025. The Buffalo-based company said at the time that the Amerks and Rochester Knighthawks, owned by Pegula Sports, would remain tenants.
VenuWorks manages more than a dozen similar-sized arenas, including the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., and the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In submitting a bid to manage the arena during the city’s recent Request For Proposals, VenuWorks did not include an annual base management fee. That incentivizes all parties to maximize use of the arena, the city said in a news release.
“This is an important decision for our city,” Mayor Malik Evans said in the news release. “We have big plans for the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial as part of our ROC the Riverway initiative, with more than $7 million in upgrades planned that will keep its prominence as the primary sports and entertainment destination of the Finger Lakes.”
City Council will vote on the recommendation later this month.
As arena owner, the city maintains the building through the capital improvement budget and is responsible for major building systems. The new management company will be responsible for routine maintenance costs.
As part of the proposal, VenuWorks will invest more than $1.2 million in capital improvements. Management of the adjacent Court Street parking lot is included in the deal.
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