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Advisory committee reviews $4 million Ocean Center rigging and arena upgrades as part of DCE plan
Summary
Volusia County staff and Ocean Center leadership presented a proposed $4 million Direct County Expenditure request for rigging, acoustic panels and safety upgrades to return the arena to entertainment use; committee asked for financial detail, project budgeting and community-access commitments before formal Council decisions.
Volusia County staff and Ocean Center representatives briefed the ECHO advisory committee on Jan. 6 about a proposed Direct County Expenditure request of $4,000,000, with an $800,000 Ocean Center match, to fund arena rigging upgrades, acoustic improvements and other infrastructure needed to attract larger touring concerts and events.
The Ocean Center representative said the package includes installation of acoustic panels, an arena curtain system to improve sight lines, supplemental steel to create an improved rigging grid, structural safety elements for rigging, remodels of green rooms and conversion of mezzanine meeting space for VIP use. Staff described the request as part of a broader multi-year capital plan; Ocean Center leadership presented economic-impact figures and community programming goals.
"We have fulfilled [the Ocean Center’s] mission," the Ocean Center representative said, highlighting recent earned revenue, visitor nights and economic-impact estimates, and said the arena’s upgrades are intended to restore the facility’s ability to host national touring acts. Industry consultants and theater specialists were cited as the basis for cost estimates and rigging plans. The facility said it has begun some capital work (new floor, new seats, lighting) and that structural and system upgrades are already budgeted in other capital projects.
Committee members broadly supported reinvestment in the Center but repeatedly asked for more financial detail: source and sufficiency of Ocean Center capital reserves, contingency plans for cost overruns, structural assessments for corrosion and salt-air impacts, and measurable community benefits (free or discounted programming for residents). Staff said the Ocean Center capital fund currently holds a little over $2 million in restricted reserves and that additional structural items are planned in the county’s capital budget; staff also said the DCE handbook and final Council approvals would govern how the funds are committed.
No advisory vote was required on this informational discussion. Staff said they will use committee feedback when preparing materials for County Council consideration of DCE items on Jan. 20.
