Group makes final payment on former civic center lease
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » A former financial albatross has reached an important milestone in its return to profitability.
Adirondack Civic Center Coalition leaders have made their final payment for a five year lease totaling $600,000 to run the 4,800seat arena through 2019.
Coalition President Dan Burke presented a $50,000 check to Glens Falls Mayor Dan Hall outside City Hall on Thursday.
“I don’t know if anybody on the coalition could have predicted we’d be where we are today,” Burke said. “It’s a publicprivate partnership that has worked.”
The coalition, comprised of local business and civic leaders, took over operation of the center, now called Cool Insuring Arena, in 2015. At the time, it was costing the city more than $600,000 per year, but closed out 2017 in the black.
Arena Manager Jeff Mead said attendance has increased from about 180,000 to 230,000 people annually. This makes the center a major contributor not only to the downtown Glens Falls economy, but that of neighboring South Glens Falls and other surrounding communities, as visitors quite often spend money at nearby eateries, shops and gas stations as well.
The attendance increase is primarily the result of higher fan turnout at Adirondack Thunder hockey games, Mead said.
“Attendance was up 36,000 paid customers this year compared to last year,” he said.
In addition to sports and concerts, the arena now hosts a wider variety of other events such as a recent gun show, pool and spa show, and high school graduations.
“Last weekend was the first open weekend since last Oct. 1,” Mead said.
Burke said coalition leaders will decide by the end of 2019 whether to continue leasing the building, or purchase it outright.
Many improvements have been made such as a large new video-style scoreboard, locker room renovations, and improved lighting and sound systems. But Burke said the 39-year-old structure needs more work such as a new boiler and ice-making equipment.
Local officials are hoping for a return of the New York State public high school boys basketball tournament to Glens Falls. The city hosted the event for more than 30 years until Binghamton won rights to the latest three-year bid.
Glens Falls officials will submit their proposal for hosting the tourney to state officials this fall. If approved, the tournament would return to Glens Falls in 2020.