Family shows appreciation to South Windsor Arena
Owners say recreational complex was a big part of their lives while growing up
South Windsor Arena was a big part of growing up in South Windsor for the family members who own Capri Pizza, so even they will have trouble — at first — calling it by its new name, the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex.
Young people will likely start embracing the new name right away.
“But I think, people like myself, it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be very tough,” laughed Kevin Kalaydjian, who with sister Sue Kalaydjian and business partner Jim Koumoutsidis were behind Wednesday’s announcement of a $160,000, 10-year naming deal for the Pulford Street facility, which recently underwent a $4.6-million expansion that turned it from a double-pad arena to a full-fledged complex.
Kalaydjian said the Capri family is thrilled by the renaming “because it’s been such a big part of our family.”
He learned to skate there and played hockey there as a kid. During special days his school would use it for fun days. More recently, family members have attended to watch their kids do the same activities.
Capri’s flagship location on Dougall Avenue is where the business started, with Kalaydjian’s father Bob buying it in the 1970s and expanding to include 10 franchise locations throughout the city and county. Capri has a long history of sponsoring sports teams and other community campaigns, Kalaydjian said.
“We still do and it’s still great, but this one is a knock out of the park.”
Mayor Drew Dilkens said he still refers to South Windsor Arena, because that’s what it was called when he was growing up, just as he refers to the Shopper’s Drug Mart as the Big V.
“But over time this will change, just like folks refer to the WFCU Centre now,” he said, referring to the city’s east-side arena complex whose 10-year naming rights were purchased by Windsor Family Credit Union for $1.6 million.
WFCU also paid $2.2 million for 25 years of naming rights at the downtown aquatic centre.
Capri’s $160,000 deal for 10 years includes a $20,000 payment the first year to pay for new signage, then $140,000 paid over the remaining nine years.
It was one of two companies that bid on the renaming. Dilkens declared a conflict and didn’t vote or participate when city council deliberated on the issue at a recent in-camera meeting because his daughter works part-time for Capri.
But he said Capri is a good fit because it’s a well-known business with South Windsor roots that already actively sponsors sports teams.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to generate revenue to enhance our programs, and in this case we’re going to get $160,000 over 10 years, and that’s money that can be reinvested right back into the programs in that facility,” Dilkens said.
“It’s good for the taxpayer and, from our perspective, we’ve found a partner who’s been invested in South Windsor, been invested in sports in South Windsor for decades.”
City officials weren’t able to provide a total of the money raised annually from naming rights, but the WFCU Centre alone generates around $290,000 annually from all the names attached to its various rinks and meeting rooms. WFCU also sponsors clusters of recently planted trees at E.C. Row interchanges.
In the county, newer recreation facilities carry names like the Atlas Tube Centre and the Windsor Family Credit Union Community Pools and Splashpad in Lakeshore, the Vollmer Centre in LaSalle and the Libro Credit Union Centre in Amherstburg.
While the South Windsor complex has been around for a long time, it’s undergone a transformation to make room for all the programs run out of the now-closed Oakwood Community Centre. The Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex has two ice pads, a gymnasium and numerous other rooms for recreational programs. The Capri owners are thrilled to have their name on this great new facility, said Kalaydjian.
“It’s a real jewel for the city, and we’re happy to be part of it.”