Coconino County hears plan to invest in and possibly expand Pepsi Amphitheater seating

County officials and R Entertainment, the venue operator, briefed the Coconino County Board of Supervisors on the Pepsi Amphitheater’s 2024 season performance, recent capital work and potential capacity increases, and discussed next steps including budget requests and an early renewal of the operator’s contract.

Cynthia Nemeth, presenting for Parks and Recreation, said the amphitheater opened in February 2006 and has been managed under independent contractor agreements. Carrie Dunn of R Entertainment told the board the operator grew the annual schedule from three shows 13 years ago to about 40 last year and highlighted national acts that have performed at the venue. “We’ve really got to a point where all of our collective hard work has put this place on the map from a national perspective,” Dunn said.

Nemeth and R Entertainment described the venue as a revenue-generating county program with notable economic benefits. Company representatives said about 67% of attendees come from outside Coconino County and estimated total local economic impact at roughly $13 million in the prior year. Nemeth said the county’s revenue share since opening is “nearly $1.5 million” and that the county has reinvested some of the annual earnings back into the facility. Operators said their 2024 operating expenses were about $400,000 and that they had made private investments in production, security screening, point-of-sale and staff.

Both Parks and Recreation staff and R Entertainment outlined maintenance and capital needs. Nemeth listed near-term items needed to maintain the venue’s current operations, including hoists for speakers, a walk-in cooler, interior painting, restroom improvements and engineering work to allow better seasonal lighting rigging. Dunn and Reid Glick described backstage limitations for larger touring rigs, the need for more restroom capacity, improved ADA seating at the top of the house rather than down the ramp, and a desire to expand general admission capacity for higher-selling shows.

During board questions, supervisors pressed staff on estimated costs for initial growth projects. The presenters gave these estimates during the discussion: fence realignment to increase seating (about $95,000), additional restroom capacity (projected at about $150,000 for portable units, not including potential water/sewer tie-ins), and a small figure for food court/VIP area expansion referenced in the packet at roughly $10,000–$20,000. County staff and R Entertainment said a basic package of immediate improvements could be expected to show a roughly five‑year return on investment under conservative ticket‑increase assumptions.

Supervisors framed the amphitheater work as both a community amenity and an economic-development play. Vice Chair Patrice Horstman called it a “revenue-producing” county project and said she expects the item to be part of the upcoming budget deliberations. Nemeth told the board two near-term deliverables: a formal budget proposal for proposed capital work and an early renewal of the operator’s contract (the current agreement expires in December; staff said they plan to present a renewal for an additional five-year term).

Board members did not vote on capital funding during the work session; they requested the department bring back costed proposals during the budget process and the proposed contract renewal. Nemeth and R Entertainment said they would continue investing privately in some items (LED screens, lifts, staging equipment) and asked the board to consider funding infrastructure and ADA upgrades if the county chooses to pursue capacity increases.

The county staff presentation listed specific recent investments and maintenance steps completed with retained venue earnings: replacement water heaters and HVAC work, tying into sewer to eliminate septic pumping, retaining wall and egress work, exterior painting, new electrical pedestals, upgraded green-room lighting and a new roof replacement project. Nemeth said the roof replacement improved sound and aesthetics and reduced a recurring maintenance cycle.

The county manager and Parks and Recreation staff said the county would return to the board with a budget package and the proposed contract renewal. Supervisor comments indicated support for pursuing proposals in the budget process but no immediate commitment of county general fund dollars at the meeting.

Why it matters: The amphitheater draws out‑of‑county visitors who spend money locally and generates revenue for the county. The board will consider tradeoffs—upfront capital investment versus expected incremental revenue and economic development—during the county’s budget process.