Coliseum Authority extends agreement with Oak View Group
The Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority voted Tuesday afternoon to extend the current agreement with Oak View Group.
Under the terms of the agreement, Oak View Group will provide venue management, hospitality services, and partnership services for Bell Auditorium and the new James Brown Arena, currently scheduled to open in 2027. The extension is for ten years with an option for an additional ten years. As part of the agreement, Oak View Group will invest $10 million in the arena project.
Brad Usry, a member of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Board and the New Arena Committee Chairman, said that $10 million investment will include ice making equipment in the new arena as well as recruitment of a new professional hockey team for the Augusta market.
“Through this contract, we will maximize the potential of our new Arena, ensure profitability for the Authority, fund capital improvements and maintenance, and ultimately set up this Board – and the Augusta Entertainment Complex – as a whole, for success long after we are all gone,” said Cedric Johnson, Chairman of the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority in a release issued today.
“We look forward to this continued partnership as we work in tandem to build Augusta’s future.”
Other plans for the new arena include expanded seating for 10,500, including suites and loge boxes. They also include the construction of a private club lounge and a physical connection to Bell Auditorium.
The Oak View Group acquired Spectra, which has provided management services for the Augusta Entertainment Complex since 2008, in 2021.