The City of Prince George is looking to sell the naming rights to the Prince George Coliseum, after a five-year naming deal with Rolling Mix Concrete ended in 2020.
City director of recreation and events Andy Beesley said the city is seeking expressions of interest from potential sponsors, and will be communicating that through the city’s communication department.
“We also have some leads we’re following directly,” Beesley told city council on Monday. “Any new… draft agreement would be brought to a future council meeting for your consideration.”
The sponsors don’t have to be local companies, he added, but the agreement “needs to be beneficial to our community and our city.”
In a written report to city council, Beesley said that the Prince George Spruce Kings hockey club, which is the major tenant of the Coliseum, approached the city “with a request to explore a sponsorship that would include naming rights to the Coliseum.”
“Administration would seek input from the Spruce Kings with any agreement,” Beesley wrote.
The city officially renamed the Coliseum in May, more than a year after Rolling Mix Concrete’s naming rights agreement with the city ended on Dec. 31, 2020. The name change was delayed to prevent any confusion during the Spruce Kings’ 2020-21 hockey season.
Under the five-year deal, Rolling Mix Concrete provided $10,000 per year in cash and $15,000 to $20,000 per year in concrete to support construction of the annual Spruce Kings Show Home Lottery house.
The arena, built in 1958, was known as the Prince George Coliseum for most of its operational life. Several reports to city council by city administration have suggested the aging arena is nearing the end of its useful life.
