City staff and operator outline Fort/ Ford Wyoming Center finances; officials discuss investments and naming-rights revenue

City staff and the Fort Wyoming Center operator presented a pro forma review to Casper City Council on June 24 showing the facility operates with a recurring net operating loss that the city supplements while the venue produces a large local economic impact.

Carter (city staff) explained the model and said the city’s annual operating benchmark had been set near the average loss in the three years before the city transitioned operations to a private operator. He described the chart showing a prior peak in losses during that transition, a period of stabilization under private operator management, and a current goal of moving the operating results to a break-even point over time.

Zulema, speaking for the Ford Wyoming Center team, said the city invests “just under a million dollars a year in the operation of this facility for over a $25,000,000 return and economic benefit to our community.” She emphasized the tradeoff between municipal subsidy and the center’s broader economic contribution. Zulema and the operator identified four priority revenue areas to reduce the net subsidy: increase food-and-beverage sales, attract larger touring acts, expand rental opportunities, and grow corporate sponsorships (including naming-rights negotiations under way).

An OVG representative explained the net-operating-loss model is common for municipal assembly facilities and said many publicly owned event centers operate at a deficit for the wider economic and community benefits. The council asked about comparables, whether private ownership models are common, and whether operating revenue could be captured through mechanisms like TIF districts; the operator said municipal ownership with a city subsidy is typical and that capturing operating subsidy via an economic-impact mechanism is not a common model.

General manager Jake and assistant Amanda (Ford Wyoming Center operations) described a structural limitation that affects booking: the arena’s rigging/truss capacity is rated at about 28,000 pounds, while many modern touring productions require far greater overhead capacities. The operations team said that technical and infrastructure limitations — including electrical and plumbing locations and older mechanical systems — constrain the center’s ability to host some larger touring acts and affect revenue potential.

Councilors discussed the trade-offs of continued municipal subsidy, potential private sale questions, and near-term steps the center can take to improve revenue and reduce loss; council provided no directive to sell the facility. Staff and the operator said they will pursue targeted investments and sponsor negotiations and return to council with financial goals tied to the pro forma.