The City of New Westminster may explore whether it can generate revenue for the civic centre through sponsorship opportunities such as naming rights for the future facility.
The city believes there may be an opportunity to seek corporate sponsorship to generate revenue and to help offset the costs of the facility that's now under construction on Columbia Street. Sponsorship could involve naming rights to the facility and/or sponsorship of interior spaces within the multi-use civic facility, a staff report said.
"I am open to looking at it," said Mayor Wayne Wright said about his view on sponsorship of city facilities. "If it is tastefully done, it is something that could work for the city. Remember, it is a convention facility as well."
Staff is seeking direction from council regarding the pursuit of corporation sponsorship opportunities associated with the multiuse civic facility and/or
other city facilities. If council wants to proceed with sponsorship program for city facilities, staff will develop a sponsorship policy for council's consideration.
Rogers' arena' Although council was set to discuss the matter at its Oct. 15 committee-of-the-whole meeting, it referred the report to a future council meeting.
Wright said the city has been working hard to come up with the right name for the multiuse civic facility. He noted that if the city pursues sponsorship for the building, this could be part of the facility's name.
"It's a new way of municipalities being able to get into the revenue source," he said about naming rights. "You only have to go as far as Vancouver to see Rogers Arena."
Given that the topic is likely to generate quite a discussion, Wright said council decided to delay consideration of the staff report so there was ample time for council members to voice their thoughts on the direction being considered. "We had some preliminary discussions," he said. "There are certainly two different thoughts. We need to sit down collectively and take the time to discuss it."
Wright said some people who are interested in coming into the building are curious about the city's decision about naming rights. In addition to the civic centre, the city is building an office tower above the city facility.
The total budget for the project is $94 million, which includes $41.5 million for the civic centre, $12.5 million for the parking structure (to be used by the office tower and the civic facility), and $40 million for the office tower. The city will use $43 million in casino money known as "development assistance compensation" for the project.
The civic centre will include a 350-seat theatre, conference and meeting space, art studios, an art gallery, tourist information centre, the city's museum and the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
The staff report states that sponsorship opportunities may exist for other city facilities, but the civic centre presents an immediate and unique opportunity as it is a new facility, has commerce components (conference space, a gift shop, retail space) and has an office tower attached that could attract potential sponsors.
Sponsorship opportunities could include naming rights of the building or individual program areas (theatre, museum, art studios etc.), exclusive supplier rights in food and beverages, and advertising in indoor and outdoor spaces, stated the report.
According to a staff report, 80 per cent of New Westminster residents surveyed by Ipsos Reid in 2006 and 2008 supported using corporate sponsorship to generate revenue.
The staff report stated that it is "difficult to assess" the potential revenue from corporate sponsorship until a policy is developed and an inventory of potential sponsorship assets is assembled and evaluated. The city will also need to get outside expertise to help determine the sponsorship value of its assets.
