Coconino County hears proposal to expand Pepsi Amphitheater; staff to return with budget and contract renewal

Coconino County officials on the Board of Supervisors agenda heard a presentation on investments and a possible capacity expansion for the Pepsi Amphitheater but took no formal action. County staff said they will return to the board with a budget proposal and a proposed renewal of the amphitheater contract.

The presentation, led by Coconino County Manager Cynthia Nemeth and co-presented by R Entertainment partner Carrie Dunn, laid out the venue’s history and finances and several possible capital projects. “The amphitheater is nearly 20 years old. We opened it… the grand opening was in 02/2006,” Nemeth said, noting the venue’s long-running revenue-share relationship with private operators.

Why it matters: Presenters said the amphitheater generates tourism and county revenue while creating seasonal jobs. Carrie Dunn told the board the operation has grown from three shows in the early years to roughly 40 shows on a recent season and credited that programming with drawing out-of-county visitors: “67% of all the people that come are not from Coconino County,” he said, and he reported a “total economic impact last year was $13,000,000.” Dunn also said the operation earned about $174,000 for the county last year.

Major points from the presentation: - Operations and partners: R Entertainment (partners Carrie Dunn and Reid Glick), Alicia Klein (general manager), and venue manager Steven Strickland were introduced as the private partners running bookings, production and day‑to‑day operations. Parks and Recreation staff Liz Krug (assistant director) and Shayla Gunn (recreation and fair manager, contract administrator) were listed as county contacts. - Capital and maintenance needs: Presenters and staff identified a group of near-term maintenance items (new hoists, walk-in cooler, HVAC and water heaters, painting, electrical pedestals, lighting and crowd-control barriers) and larger projects tied to growth (realigning the perimeter fence to add capacity, more restrooms, back-of-house improvements for tour buses and power, and enlarging the food court/VIP areas). - Capacity and costs: The presenters said current seating capacity is about 3,200 and that expanding to roughly 4,000–5,000 seats would require reconfiguring fence lines and supporting infrastructure. During a question-and-answer exchange Supervisor Patrice Horstman and staff noted rough cost estimates given in the presentation: realigning the fence was cited at about $95,000; additional restrooms were estimated at about $150,000 (noting that water/sewer tie-in costs depend on location); a food court/VIP expansion was described in the packet in the low tens of thousands of dollars; and a package of immediate growth items was described in discussion as about $391,000. Horstman said a basic package of immediate investments could deliver about a five-year return on investment under current projections. - Recent and past investments: Nemeth told the board the county had retained about $157,000 from FY23 earnings to reinvest, and listed several completed projects — new roof work, septic tie-in to sewer, water heaters, HVAC work, and safety/egress improvements. She said replacement of a canvas roof after a winter collapse ultimately improved sound and aesthetics; the presentation also listed a roof replacement and related insurance deduction but used different figures at different points in the slide deck.

What the board directed and next steps: No formal vote was taken on capital funding or on contract changes. County staff told the board they will present a budget proposal for the amphitheater and an early renewal of the private-concession agreement (staff said the contract contains a renewal provision and the current term expires in December). Nemeth told the board the department will bring a proposal during the budget process and a renewal of the agreement for an additional five-year term.

Board reaction: Supervisors expressed broad support for reinvesting revenue into the venue because of its economic impact and regional draw. Members specifically emphasized improving ADA seating, restrooms, back-of-house access for tour buses, and safety measures.

Ending: Staff said a formal budget proposal and a proposed renewal of the concession agreement will be presented to the board in the coming budget cycle. The presentation materials and follow-up packet were to be circulated to supervisors and included more detailed line-item estimates.