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Family Arena officials outline use, finances and naming-rights talks to county council
Summary
Family Arena managers told the council the 10,000-seat venue draws a regional audience, described $14 million in recent capital improvements (about $3M county share) and said naming-rights negotiations are underway; council members pressed for revenue and expense clarity.
Sandy Femmer, general manager of the Family Arena, and Tom O'Keefe, booking and marketing manager, briefed the St. Charles County Council on May 22 on the venue’s operations, finances and capital needs.
Femmer said the Family Arena is a 10,000-seat multipurpose venue that has hosted more than 5,000 events and millions of patrons since opening in 1999. "Our annual attendance typically exceeds 300,000 and in stronger years has surpassed 400,000," she said, and described in-house catering, parking capacity and community uses including graduations and law-enforcement training.
Officials described recent capital work: about $14 million in improvements over the past few years, including HVAC replacement, new seating, video/ribbon boards, repaving and marquee replacement. The county’s out-of-pocket share was described as roughly $3 million tied to a bond issue the council passed in 2025; FEMA/CARES/ARPA-related federal relief and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant helped offset other costs, officials said.
On naming rights, staff said an RFP produced multiple responses and two solid proposals are being vetted, with a recommendation expected within about 30 days. Council members asked for clearer financial projections; managers estimated annual gross revenues in the $3–5 million range and said operating losses have been several hundred thousand dollars per year in weaker years. The presenters characterized the arena as a county asset that generates economic activity and civic value even if it is not a net profit center.
Council members thanked arena staff and asked for follow-up detail on operating and capital plans, naming-rights proposals and long-term maintenance concerns. No council action was required; the presentation was informational.
What’s next: Arena staff will return with a naming-rights recommendation and additional budget context.
