COLUMBUS, Ohio — Both Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Convention Center bring a lot of money and people to the city, but both are beginning to show their age and require some major attention.
Both facilities are owned by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. The FCCFA also oversees the Hilton Columbus Downtown, four parking garages and two parking lots.
Nationwide Arena opened in 2000 and the oldest parts of the convention center opened in 1993. The roof on the arena is original and the roof on the convention center has been repaired and patched over the years and is due for a replacement. Both facilities are also due for new HVAC systems, replacing or renovating escalators and elevators, and other expected comforts.
FCCFA Executive Director Ken Paul said many of these items have reached the end of their useful lives and it’s something that has been on their radar for some time.
“With Nationwide Arena turning 25 next year and this facility being 25 years or more, we need to make some significant investments,” Paul said. “About $130 million for the convention center over the next five to seven years. The first phase of renovations for the arena are about $62 million.”
These improvements won’t happen all at once. They will be spread out over several years and performed as money allows.
Paul said they are looking at several streams of revenue to cover this cost over the coming year.
State lawmakers recently approved $2 million to the FCCFA for improvement projects. FCCFA also receives some revenue from admission fees, fees and taxes for hotel rooms in the city and taxes collected from the casino. Projects will be prioritized and Paul said they are currently working on a funding plan.
“It’ll be phased out as resources become available. We will plan that out in a very thoughtful and methodical way,” he said.
Nationwide Arena is operated by Columbus Arena Management. Mike Gatto, CAM’s chief operating officer, has been working closely with FCCFA on plans.
In 2020, a condition assessment was done on Nationwide Arena that showed it was time to make some upgrades.
“It’s a 20-year-old roof. You keep pushing and pushing to get the life out of it and it’s good until it’s not,” Gatto said. "A roof is pretty important. The worst thing that could happen is we couldn’t produce a hockey game or an event because we have a problem with the roof. Something like a leak or something like that.”
He assures the condition and safety of the roof is fine. But just like the roof on a home, it’s reached the end of its useful life.
The arena is a huge economic driver for the Arena District and the city. Gatto said this $62 million is to cover replacing the roof and some other renovations. He said similarly-aged facilities like Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland and Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis have already undergone major facelifts. He said eventually Nationwide Arena will need the same to stay competitive for big-name events. That will include a new scoreboard and some changes to concessions facilities.
A condition assessment is underway for the Greater Columbus Convention Center to get a better understanding of what needs attention and in what order.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to deferred maintenance and decreased revenues for FCCFA facilities. They are now working to get those projects back on track before there are any issues.