What was known as the Roanoke Civic Center over its first 43 years of existence is now the Berglund Center after the car dealership chain won the naming rights recently. Now the complex will undergo a more substantial change as part of a remodel that started with infrastructure improvements.
In the next phase LED lighting in the coliseum and in outdoor marquee signs will replace incandescent bulbs – saving perhaps several hundred thousand dollars a year on electricity bills.
Old doors that don’t offer the security level required today will be replaced; new carpet in the performing arts theater, updated dressing rooms, fresh paint and new seats in the coliseum are also on the way.
The Berglund Center has about a million dollars a year in allotments from Roanoke City, which owns the complex, in order to make the necessary improvements. That will last until 2018, but general manager Robyn Schon calls it “a rolling capital plan. As we move into the next year there’s generally another year added until we can complete the major projects and get this place back up and running – set for the next 40 years.”
When the seats in the coliseum are replaced handrails will be added in the steeper upper sections. “That’s something we never had before,” said Schon; because of the age of the building it had been grandfathered and did not have to meet more stringent modern safety standards. Seats behind where a stage is normally erected will be black, which means workers won’t have to put up a black curtain at those events. That will save on labor costs and was an idea Schon first came up with.
Savings that come from the upgrade – like the lower electricity costs – will allow the annual subsidy awarded by the city to run the complex to be reduced. It currently sits at $600,000 per year. “There’s a lot of things that are cosmetic going on here… but we still have a long way to go,” cautions Schon. Long term a new stage in the theater and a parking lot re-do are on the list.
As for the exterior doors, Schon said they are “no longer functioning and pose a security issue for us. We have to get that taken care of.” Once the leaks are fixed in the roof over the stairs leading to the basement exhibition hall (not the special events center) that space will be updated as well. “It’s going to be a really pretty room – open for rent.” In fact, said Schon not having that room “up to snuff” has led to a loss of bookings in the past. That should be updated in the next four months.
The changes should keep the facility up to date for the next 25-30 years estimates Schon. She says the complex is “holding it own” as far as bookings go (ZZ Top will be there next month.) Schon also said they are exploring the notion of staging shows outdoors next spring at the Elmwood Park Amphitheater, but there is a risk in staging outdoor concerts due to the weather. “We’ve got a lot of homework to do [first].” She doesn’t consider the amphitheater competition.
One long term plan for the exhibition hall and the special events center is to add paneled partitions, making it more attractive for conventions and business conferences that require breakout session space. “We’re 43 years old now,” said Schon; “we’re past due for some TLC.”
By Gene Marrano