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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.



Cumberland County Commissioners Approve Budget for FY2023

Jun 7, 2022, 10:18 AM by Loren Bymer

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County Commissioners passed the Fiscal Year 2023 annual budget tonight. The budget passed in a 4-2 vote. Commissioner Charles Evans was not present. The budget maintains the County’s current property tax rate of 79.9 cents per $100 valuation and makes investments in the Board’s strategic priorities.

The approved budget includes the following changes from County Manager’s recommended budget:
• An additional $30,000 in funding for Cumberland HealthNet
• An additional $3,000 in funding for Vision Resource Center
• A reduction of $33,000 for Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
• An additional $50,000 FCEDC for marketing
• A reduction of $50,000 for Utilities
• An increase of $300,000 in grant funding for Enhanced Mobility
• An increase of $200,000 in funding for the MPO
• An increase of $2,000 for the Vice Chair’s salary

The approved budget includes just under $553 million in expenditures across all County funds, with $362 million appropriated for General Fund expenses, which represents a $22 million or 6.5% increase over the FY2023 General Fund budget.

The budget provides funding to address the Board of Commissioners’ ongoing priorities including:
• Continuing to move forward with the replacement of the Crown Theatre and Arena with anticipated site review and selection, land procurement, updating and refining project cost estimates, and procurement of a design/construction team.
• Allocating $258,600 to move forward with Phase 1 of the Gray’s Creek Water Project to serve two elementary schools and residential customers located along the route
• Moving forward with addressing homelessness including identifying potential sites for a homeless shelter.
• Maintaining local funding for mental health services and recommending utilizing existing MCO fund balance to increase levels of mental health and substance abuse services in the county.
• Providing $390,254 for a pilot project to provide in-home case management and care coordination to help address the social determinants of health and reduce barriers and gaps in services to those most in need.
• Including $50,000 for a pilot transportation program to address transportation access issues for citizens receiving services from the Public Health Department.

The budget seeks to address the County’s recruitment and retention issues of finding and maintaining an experienced, well-trained workforce. Initiatives include:
• Funding for a 4% cost-of-living adjustment for County employees.
• Additional market adjustments to increase the entry level salary rates for sheriff’s deputies and detention officers.
• $95,000 to conduct an organization-wide classification and market study to address salary compression, inequity, and competitive pay within ranges.
• Funding for a pilot project to transition social workers in DSS to permanent remote work, which could be expanded to other County departments in future years.

Additionally, the recommended budget also includes:
• $755,657 for 15 new positions (not including the new positions related to the in-home case management and care coordination program).
• $84.3 million in current expense funding for Cumberland County Schools, representing 43.47% of the property tax rate and an increase of $1.3 million from FY2022.
• An additional $3.9 million in funding to Cumberland County Schools for School Health Nurses, School Resource Officers, and School Crossing Guards.
• $14.2 million in current expense funding for Fayetteville Technical Community College, which is an increase of $935,000.
• $2 million to replace 32 vehicles (21 from the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center).

  • 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