AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The James Brown Arena may possibly be aged and outdated, but it’s however open for small business. Programs ended up in the performs to tear it down and make a new one particular prior to voters bought sticker-shock.

Among both equally the Bell Auditorium and the James Brown Arena, a lot more than 150 gatherings are envisioned to just take place downtown this 12 months.

Leaders say it is environment them up for 1 of their best years however.

“It was loud and obvious, but it wasn’t ‘we don’t feel the challenge is deserving’. I just feel we need to have to go at it in a distinct financing model,” reported Chris Chook, basic manager, James Brown Arena.

This provides the James Brown Arena extra time to book activities at the arena.

“Our client has been excellent, and they’ve explained ‘go get some demonstrates, fill the dates, do the finest you can,” he claimed. “We’re tremendous happy about in which we are this 12 months financially, I feel it is heading to be the complex’s best economic year ever.”

And more occasions suggest more revenue for other companies in the city.

“Whenever there are 1000’s of folks coming downtown, no matter whether it is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the climbing tide impact certainly performs properly to downtown,” stated Hen.

Even though it is set to be a occupied calendar year, the idea to build a new arena is not entirely off the table.

“We’ve been functioning on where by to put an arena, where it’s likely to be best utilized for the local community, you know feasibility scientific tests, how numerous seats, how considerably is it heading to charge. The James Brown Arena, it’s nearing its usable lifespan, so we’re just hoping to get that next move and the place it is likely,” he reported.

While there is no phrase nevertheless on when that program to rebuild will occur back up, Hen states they are energized about the long run of the James Brown Arena.

“We’re hunting forward to continuing the dialogue with the community on a new arena and hearing that feed-back and coming to our displays for the reason that it is about the practical experience,” he said.

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