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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

Committee Approves Schematic Design for Crown Event Center

Aug 21, 2023, 11:21 AM by Jon Soles

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee voted Tuesday, Aug. 15, to approve the schematic design for the new Crown Event Center and approach to the exterior façade.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee voted Tuesday, Aug. 15 to approve the schematic design for the new Crown Event Center and approach to the exterior façade.

Committee members received an update from the Project Development Team (PDT) on the schematic design process, during which project architect EwingCole met with internal operating groups to develop the program for individual spaces within the building including the main event hall, lobby and other public spaces, VIP spaces, and performer and other back-of-house spaces.

Bill Koonz, Regional Director for EwingCole, showed the Committee several renderings of the building’s exterior, which includes glass curtainwall facing Gillespie Street with wood-look column enclosures and exterior shading devices, along with a roof terrace that includes plantings and an exterior shade canopy.

“It’s impressive,” said Commissioner Jimmy Keefe. “This is a big day for Cumberland County.”

Additionally, Koonz shared a proposed adjustment to the facility’s service yard, which would enclose the service yard; accommodate more large trucks for events and performances; provide capacity for back-of-house spaces to be located on the first floor; and allow the building footprint to be moved off Gillespie Street to give more room for pedestrian traffic and queueing before events. Although there are additional costs to the changes, Koonz noted the project is still within the Board of Commissioners’ approved budget.

The Committee voted unanimously to approve the Schematic Design including the service yard adjustment and directed EwingCole to give a presentation to the full Board of Commissioners during their Aug. 21 meeting, which will be held at 6:45 p.m. in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

The Committee also voted to move forward with a Pre-Opening Consulting Agreement with Crown Complex manager Oak View Group (OVG) to be considered by the Board of Commissioners at the Aug. 21 meeting. The agreement would provide design consulting and pre-opening services to ensure the facility is designed and built to maximize operational efficiencies and provide an exceptional customer and user experience.

The Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Commissioners Vice Chairman Glenn Adams, who chairs the committee, and commissioners Jeannette Council and Jimmy Keefe, along with Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman Mark Yarboro, who serves in an ex-officio capacity. The Project Delivery Team (PDT) is made up of County staff, and staff from OVG, owner’s representative MBP Carolinas and architectural firm EwingCole.

The Crown Event Center will be constructed on County-owned property in front of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse in Downtown Fayetteville. The facility will replace the existing Crown Theatre and Arena, which must close by Oct. 31, 2025.

For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter

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