by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine For the fourth time in less than 20 years, the Burlington-area has been presented with a new arena project. The University of Vermont and the City of South Burlington announced last Tuesday a joint study to consider the feasibility of constructing a multi-purpose arena on a site in South Burlington. As envisioned, the arena would provide a high quality venue for UVM athletic events and other university programs, as well as concerts, family entertainment, like Disney on Ice, and could serve as a site for conventions and trade shows.
The arena would also serve as an important recreational facility for South Burlington residents. The arena would not be on the UVM campus but across the interstate near or on Dorset Street. Two locations were suggested: Somewhat adjacent to the current University Mall or on the other side of the street in what is envisioned as the City Center (the large undeveloped area running behind the Blue Mall and San Remo Drive). The UMall is separately considering a major redevelopment of its space which could be integrated with the UVM arena project.
“UVM has been pursuing the creation of a Multipurpose Events Center that would serve the recreational, events, wellness, and athletic needs of the University and the community for nearly two decades,” noted Tom Gustafson, UVM Vice President for University Relations and Administration. “We haven’t yet found a way to get this done, and this approach represents a new approach for the University to reach its goals. We think it may be an exciting and innovative solution that could be a win-win for the University, the local community, and the entire State of Vermont. We will find out through this process in the months ahead.”
“Such a multi-purpose arena would provide significant benefits beyond UVM and the City of South Burlington,” said Kevin Dorn, City Manager of South Burlington. “A multi-purpose arena can serve as a powerful economic stimulus to the whole region and be a high quality venue that all Vermonters can enjoy. “We believe the City can provide a site and a significant component of the needed financial resources to construct an arena without asking our property taxpayers for support” Dorn said.
The history of arena projects is vivid to Dorn. While Development Secretary under Governor Jim Douglas, he headed the Vermont Arena Commission. That 2005 effort included UVM, local private and public representatives, the Champlain Valley Exposition and the state.
That effort did not make it beyond a feasibility study. A lack of a funding source and competing interests among the private interests, who saw a UVM campus location as possibly drawing business away from their own venues.
Then UVM President Dan Fogel was the initial driving force, envisioning a 9,000 seat arena, which would be home to UVM hockey and basketball as well as outside entertainment. The cost then was estimated at $35 million.
At the same time, the Champlain Valley Exposition developed its own plans for a more modest arena venue, which also did not get beyond the initial planning stage.
In 1997, The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce commissioned a study developed by Ernst & Young regarding the feasibility of a convention/civic center to be located in Chittenden County. That venue was envisioned to hold up to 10,000 (less for hockey). A minor league hockey team was suggested as a possible anchor tenant for that arena. However, UVM was not part of those plans. That effort concluded with a grim-faced press conference announcing that it would not be economically feasible in any case.
Under current UVM President Tom Sullivan, the arena proposal was launched again to replace the separate basketball (with its old-school bleachers) and hockey facilities.
UVM Arena project envisioned in 2014. Renderings courtesy UVM.
UVM Hockey East competitors the University of Notre Dame and Boston University have both recently built new hockey/multi-use arenas and both are palaces.
BU’s Agganis Arena is part of a sprawling campus complex. It has 6,150 seats for hockey and ice shows and is expandable to over 8,000 seats for concerts.
Meanwhile, $50 million was spent at Notre Dame’s Compton Arena, which opened in 2011. It holds a tidy 5,000 for hockey, but has much in the way of amenities, exclusive seating and a club-style bar.
UVM leadership told Vermont Business Magazine last year and the Burlington Free Press in January, that interest is high for a new arena, but they were looking for that one, big donor to push the project forward.
UVM Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Bob Corran expressed the need for such a facility for Intercollegiate Athletics.
“UVM is a high quality Division 1 program with a strong emphasis on the student-athlete and the educational and competitive experience that they have here. It is no secret that our basketball and hockey venues are in need of significant improvement, and this facility could prove to be a viable and exciting solution to that problem,” Corran stated.
The feasibility study will be conducted by a joint Staff Working Group comprised of UVM and City officials with expertise relevant to the project.
President Tom Sullivan will appoint a team from the University and Dorn will appoint staff from the City. The feasibility analysis will make significant use of and build on at least two prior arena studies conducted by UVM and the State.
The analysis will focus on a model in which the arena is owned by the City of South Burlington with UVM having guaranteed access for their schedule of events. As envisioned, the arena would seat 5,000 for athletic events and as many as 6,000 for concerts. These numbers will be vetted against current and projected market demand. UVM and the City would work together to identify funding sources other than local property taxes to build and operate the arena.
Potential sites for an arena include the current site of the Rick Marcotte Central School and the University Mall property. Both sites are within City Center and other sites may also be identified and evaluated during the project.
It’s important to note that the Central School site is owned by the South Burlington School District. The School Board is currently conducting “due diligence” related to the possible sale or transfer of the property to other ownership and replacing that educational capacity with new facilities. Maintaining separation between the School Board’s due diligence process and the arena project is important and so School District staff will not participate in the Working Group.
The Finard family, owners of the University Mall, is planning a significant mixed-use redevelopment of their property into a live-work-play environment. As such, City officials said this is the perfect time to be considering the construction of an arena on their site. Todd Finard, who represents the family in the redevelopment project, has approved the inclusion of their site in the analysis.
Importantly, both sites to be considered are a very short walk from the University campus and will be surrounded by other amenities once City Center begins build-out.
The proposed sites reinforce goals for the state and region beyond the utility of a multi-purpose arena to include honoring smart growth principles and locating public facilities in accessible areas well served by public infrastructure.
“Siting an arena of this size in the area we are discussing will provide a very important anchor to support the buildout and ultimate success of South Burlington’s long-planned “City Center” said Dorn. “The creation of our own downtown has been a central component of South Burlington’s Comprehensive Plan for over 30 years.”
The study will address location, design needs, program, financing, scheduling, operations, legal issues, construction options, oversight, sponsorship opportunities, public financing sources, general layout options and other issues as they arise. The analysis will begin immediately with a report expected back to the President and City Manager by August 15, 2016. The report will then go to the UVM Board of Trustees and the City Council, respectively to determine next steps.
Any recommendation by the City of South Burlington to construct such an arena will be fully vetted through an open public process similar to other large public design processes. Elements such as funding will require voter approval.