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Crown Event Center Committee

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The Crown Complex 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.

Over the past two decades, the Complex has remained an important asset to the local community and the region, however the Theatre and Arena have undergone minimal capital improvements over the last half century, and the condition of the venues has deteriorated. A number of studies have been done including the 2015 Crown Theatre Modernization Study, which determined that significant upgrades were needed to meet current ADA standards and modernize the venue, and that the cost of those upgrades would approach the cost of building a brand new facility.

In 2018, the Cumberland County Civic Center Commission recommended to the Board of Commissioners that the Theatre be replaced with a new state-of-the-art venue and a feasibility study be conducted on how best to proceed.

The Board of Commissioners announced in early 2020 that the Crown Theatre and Arena will close by November 2025. The Board also engaged Convention, Sports & Leisure International (CSL), Steinberg Hart, and Public Participation Partners (P3) to conduct a Market & Financial Feasibility Study. The study, which was completed in September 2021, recommended constructing a new multi-purpose event center with a maximum capacity of 2,500 that can accommodate a variety of uses.

The Board of Commissioners hired MBP as the owner’s representative for the project and established a three-member Crown Event Center Committee, which includes Commissioner Jeannette Council, the committee chair; Commissioners Chairman Glenn Adams; and Commissioner Jimmy Keefe. Civic Center Commission Chairman Joe Quigg serves on the Committee in an ex-officio capacity. County government staff and representatives from Spectra, which manages the facility, also provide support.

The Crown Event Center Committee held a kick-off meeting for the new Crown Event Center project on April 20, 2022.

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



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:
    email_envelope
    Contact: Brian Haney, Assistant County Manager

    Contact Us

    Phone: 910-678-7724
    Email:
    email_envelope
    Contact: Brian Haney, Assistant County Manager
    Address:

    117 Dick Street
    Fayetteville, NC, NC 28301