| By Big Radio News Staff |
Third party group Sports Facility Management will operate the Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center after Janesville’s city council OK’d a deal Monday night.
Neighborhood & Community Services Director Jennifer Petruzzello says there are benefits to the city using a third-party group to manage the Woodman’s Center — including the ability to expand booking efforts to potential sporting event users across different regions.
Sports Facility Management also would provide full financial management services, Petruzzello told the council Monday night.
Petruzzello says the city will pay $18,000 a month to Sports Facility Management for pre-opening services, including sports event bookings for 2025 and beyond. Private stakeholder group Friends of the Woodman’s Center has agreed to offset the company’s setup services with a $100,000 donation.
Going forward, the city would own the Woodman’s Center and pay for operating costs. The city has not made public an official business plan for the Woodman’s Center, but Janesville City Manager Kevin Lahner says the city has reviewed costs to operate the facility and pay Sports Facility Management’s fee compared to projected revenues the Woodman’s Center could haul in.
He says the city believes it would cost taxpayers an annual subsidy between $50,000 and $60,000 to run the Woodman’s Center under Sports Facility Management.
Once the facility is up and running, the base fee would remain $18,000. That doesn’t count incentive fees, and sponsorship and advertising compensation. The contract would run until 2030.
