City officials are in the process of finding a new operator to run the Broomfield Event Center after the current manager asked to be released from its contract.
Tim Wiens, principal of Broomfield Sports and Entertainment, which operates the Broomfield Event Center, asked to be released from the company's contract with the city after falling behind on payments. The company was unable to pay its utility bill and insurance bill when they were due in December, said
Rosann Duran, the city's public information officer.
The city will cover cost of the insurance bill, estimated at $43,226, she said.
The Broomfield Urban Renewal Authority, the city agency that owns the Broomfield Event Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, discussed the issue at a meeting Jan. 20.
David Ehrlich, a consultant hired by the city in December to seek out new operators, told members of the authority there has been initial interest from companies looking to take over operations at the venue.
"It's a great building and a great location," Ehrlich said. "I'm cautiously optimistic we'll make some progress."
Ehrlich, of Denver-based FinWater Advisors, a media and sports operations consultant, said the city is seeking an operator that will ultimately come in and embrace the community.
"I think the key element is we're looking for a partner that will reach out to local charities, youth sports clubs and other groups," he said. "That will be a guiding principle of the negotiations."
City staffers are drawing up a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a new operator. The RFP would need to be approved by city council, Duran said. A date has not yet been set for when the RFP will go before council, she said.
The contract between the city and Broomfield Sports and Entertainment, approved in August 2005, requires the company to operate the venue for two, ten-year terms. Under the terms of the contract, Broomfield Sports and Entertainment also is required to maintain the venue's minor league hockey team, the Rocky Mountain Rage, for 10 years and its basketball team, the Colorado 14ers, for three years.
The conditions in the current contract, however, will be open to negotiation as the city seeks a new partner, Ehrlich said.
The event center, which opened in late 2006, has been struggling as of late to draw crowds. The $45 million venue was funded through bonds issued by the city to be paid off through sales and property taxes generated by Arista, a 200-acre mixed-use development currently under construction near the event center.