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Crown Event Center

The Crown Complex, located at 1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville is comprised of five venues, including a 2,440-seat Theatre and 4,500-seat Arena that opened in 1967; and a 10,880-seat Coliseum, 60,000-square-foot Expo Center and 9,200-square-foot Ballroom that opened in 1997.

The original Crown Theatre and Arena must close by November 2025, and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners has approved the construction of a new state-of-the-art multipurpose event center (the Crown Event Center) to replace these facilities. The Crown Event Center will be located in Downtown Fayetteville at the intersection of Gillespie Street and Ottis F. Jones Parkway on the block between the County’s Historic Courthouse and the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

In early 2022, the Board of Commissioners hired MBP Carolinas as the owner’s representative for the project and established a three-member Crown Event Center Committee, which includes Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, who chairs the committee, Board of Commissioners Chairman Glenn Adams and Commissioner Jeannette Council. Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman McBryde Grannis serves on the Committee in an ex-officio capacity. A Project Delivery Team (PDT) was also established, comprised of key County staff and representation from MBP Carolinas, current Crown Complex Manager Oak View Group (OVG), project architect EwingCole and Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMaR) TA Loving/Metcon.

The Crown Event Center Committee held a kick-off meeting for the new Crown Event Center project on April 20, 2022. On Sept. 6, 2022, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved guiding principles for the project following an engagement process that included members of a Community Engagement Committee comprised of representation from current users of the Crown Complex, community members, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, the business community, and municipal and civic leaders.

The guiding principles are a set of value statements intended to establish a common direction for the project and inform decision-making throughout the project.

graphic outlining guiding principles for crown event center

The County hired EwingCole as the project architect in November 2022. Once on board, EwingCole engaged the Community Engagement Committee and other stakeholders to provide feedback on what they believe needs to be included in the new Crown Event Center to make it successful. This information was incorporated into the Conceptual Design process, which resulted in the Board of Commissioners approving a building program of 131,500 square feet and an updated project budget of $131,703,300 on May 15, 2023. The Board approved a Schematic Design on Aug. 15, 2023.

TA Loving/Metcon was brought on as CmaR in September 2023, and the PDT began working with the CMaR to reconcile project cost and schedule. On Jan. 16, 2024, the PDT provided an update to the Crown Event Center Committee that the cost of building the new Crown Event Center had increased due to a larger building program and unprecedented escalation in certain trade areas. The Crown Event Center Committee directed the PDT to redesign the facility to fit within a total project budget of $145 million. On Jan. 23, 2024, the PDT presented a redesigned facility with a building program totaling 134,000 square feet and the Committee authorized the PDT to continue moving forward with the redesigned facility. The PDT estimates breaking ground on the new facility in September 2024 with construction completed in early 2027, however the team will continue working to shorten the timeline to complete the facility as early as possible.

Additional information related to the project and the Crown Event Center Committee will be posted on this page throughout the duration of the project.

Feasibility Study Presentation

Crown Complex

Feasibility Study

Committee Agendas & Minutes

Crown Event Center Framework and Way Forward: Item of Business for May 2 Commissioners’ Meeting

Apr 22, 2022, 14:08 PM by Jon Soles

Cumberland County’s Crown Event Center Committee voted April 20 to accept the project framework presented by the consultant for a new multipurpose event center.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County’s Crown Event Center Committee voted April 20 to accept the project framework presented by the County’s consultant for the site selection, design, and construction of a new multipurpose event center to replace the Crown Theatre and Arena.

With the theatre and arena anticipated to close in November 2025, Spectra Venue Management, the company that manages the Crown Complex for Cumberland County, hired Conventions, Sports and Leisure International in January 2020 to conduct a feasibility study related to replacing the two facilities. The consultant studied the regional market, similar facilities and communities and gathered feedback from public input forums, interviews with key stakeholders and an online public survey.

The research showed that stakeholders and the public desire a sustainable venue that brings top events and provides space for community users. The study’s recommendation is to build an 89,000-square-foot multi-purpose venue with a maximum capacity of 2,500 people. The estimated cost, in 2021 dollars, would be $75-$80 million and does not include the purchase of a site.

Crown Event Center Committee Chairwoman, Cumberland County Commissioner Jeannette Council, met with Commissioners Jimmy Keefe and Glenn Adams, along with the rest of the Committee and Project Delivery Team to listen to the consulting firm, MBP, outline the proposed framework for the project schedule, committee structure, site selection process and a recommendation for the next steps.

The project schedule outlined general timelines for site selection, land procurement, as well as design, construction and moving into the new building.

During the meeting, commissioners expressed interest in making sure the project is completed by the October 2025 deadline, obtaining an updated cost estimate for the project, and ensuring the public has sufficient input into project development.

The next step is for the Board of Commissioners to discuss the committee structure and outlining authority levels, finalizing the guiding principles, site selection and developing a design and creating a construction request for quotes (RFQ) during the May 2 regular meeting. This meeting will be at 9 a.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Courthouse located 117 Dick Street in Fayetteville.

Meetings are also live streamed on CCNC-TV though the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov, YouTube Channel and on Spectrum Channel 5. You will find meeting agendas, minutes and links to the videos under the Board of Commissioners tab on the website. They are also rebroadcast on the same platforms.

Contact Us


Phone:	910-678-7724	Address: 117 Dick Street Fayetteville, NC, NC 28301


Email:
Contact:	Brian Haney, Assistant County Manager

Contact Us


Phone:	910-678-7724
Email:
Contact:	Brian Haney, Assistant County Manager
Address:	117 Dick Street Fayetteville, NC, NC 28301