Worcester, SMG Agree to Extend DCU Center Management Contract
Email to a friend
Permalink
Thursday, January 09, 2014
GoLocalWorcester Business Team
SMG and the City of Worcester have reached an agreement to extend SMG’s management services at the DCU Center for an additional five years.
Since opening, the DCU Center has gone through several capital improvement projects beginning with the first expansion of the Arena in 1987, the addition of an attached 50,000 square foot Convention Center in 1997 and most recently the completion of a $31.5M renovation and expansion.
“The DCU Center is a top performer in the industry, posting record numbers for the month of October,” said,” Wes Westley, President and CEO of SMG. “The partnership between the management staff at the venue and the city is a success story that we know will continue for many years to come.”
Recent renovations
The Arena, which closed on May 1, 2013 and reopened on October 3, 2013, underwent improvements focused on updating of the aging infrastructure, improving fan amenities, enhanced connectivity to the urban surroundings, revenue enhancements and improved systems to reduce expenses and provide for energy conservation. Elements of the new design incorporate upgrades to both the interior and exterior of the facility including a new façade, digital marquee, a landscaped promenade/entrance, redesigned box office pavilion, an expanded concourse, 4 luxury event suites, indoor/outdoor retail space and a new concourse-level club area.
“We are proud that SMG’s success has been an integral part of the growth and development of the City, and specifically to the revitalization of downtown Worcester over the past three decades," said Sandy Dunn, General Manager of the DCU Center. "The economic impact and positive results produced by the Arena and Convention Center have been consistently recognized by City leadership.”
More than just arena operations
Along with the daily operations of both the Arena and the Convention Center, SMG will continue to operate the food and beverage services through Savor Catering. SMG has also entered into an agreement with the City of Worcester to manage the Worcester Common Oval, a public ice skating rink on the common behind city hall, for the 2nd consecutive year. The Worcester Common Oval opened under SMG management in November 2012 and has been met with public accolades and great success.
“SMG provides the leadership and industry experience that a facility in a highly competitive market like Worcester needs," said Scott A. Najarian, Chairman for the Civic Center Commission. "The quality and volume of events that they bring to our City, and the impact those events have on Worcester is immeasurable.”
The DCU Center had a fairly successfu month of October, reopening after a 5-month renovation closure. The Arena hosted 16 events; among them were four sold out concerts (Pearl Jam, Oct. 15-16 and Phish, Oct. 25-26) and three Worcester Sharks hockey games. The Convention Center hosted 33 events including the annual Central MA Business Expo. With an overall attendance of 87,958 and revenue of $710,447, it was the best single month for the combined facility in over 15 years.
Related Slideshow: 13 Biggest Sports Stories in 2013
Prev
Next
#12. Patriots Fall Short
The Patriots made a great run toward the Super Bowl in January. After going 12-4 in the regular season and earning a first round bye, the Pats walked past the defensive powerhouse Houston Texans 41-28 on their way to play the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC Championship.
Baltimore had just come off a tough double overtime victory at Denver a week earlier, so New England fans felt confident that they would be heading to New Orleans for their eighth Super Bowl.
However, at game time Baltimore's defense stepped-up behind their retiring captain, Ray Lewis, stunning the Patriots 28-13. This would be the first ever home loss in an AFC Championship game for New England.
Prev
Next
#11. HS State Champions
2013 brought several high school state titles to Central Massachusetts.
In the spring, there was a Central Mass sweep in softball as Milford (Division I), Grafton (Division II), and Assabet (Division III) all took home State Championships.
In the fall, four Central Mass football teams reached State Super Bowls, and two of those teams came home as champions. The Doherty Highlanders won a battle with Dennis-Yarmouth 28-26 to claim the Division 4 title, and in Division 6, the Littleton Tigers won a 52-35 shootout over Cohasset.
Prev
Next
#9. Tim Tebow
Much of New England scratched their heads when the Patriots signed Tim Tebow in June. Despite questions over the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback's viability as a starter in the NFL, the signing of Tebow was big news in Foxboro ahead of training camp.
Tebow's tenure in New England didn't last very long, as the former Florida Gator failed to make the Patriots' final cut.
Prev
Next
#8. One Fine Day
October 13, 2013 was a great day in New England Sports history, in fact, it is possibly one of the best ever.
First, the New England Patriots defeated the New Orleans Saints 30-27, after Tom Brady completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to rookie Kenbrell Thompkins with 5 seconds left in the game.
Then the Red Sox, down by five runs to Detroit in Game 2 of the ALCS, staged an unlikely comeback--featuring a David Ortiz grand slam--winning the game and making the series even at 1-1.
Read GoLocal's list of the Ten Greatest Days in New England Sports history here .
Prev
Next
#7. Red Sox Victory
After the train wreck season of 2012, expectations were tempered for the Red Sox in 2013. They had dropped payroll, fired their manager, and the team's focus was on rebuilding for the future.
So when the Red Sox won their third World Series in ten years, the celebrations in New England were incredible. This was evidenced by the enormous number of people who turned out for the victory parade through Boston's streets in November.
See GoLocal's parade coverage here.
Prev
Next
#6. Shamrock Shakeup
When the Celtics brought in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to play along with Paul Pierce under Doc Rivers, the team and fans knew that the window to win was small.
They won a title in their first year together, and made several more runs in subsequent seasons, but in summer of 2013, it was clear that the window had closed.
Doc Rivers walked away, replaced by first-year coach Brad Stevens; and Kevin Garnett was traded, along with Paul Pierce, to Brooklyn for draft picks and role players.
While the short-term prognosis for the Celtics is not promising, most agree that these moves in 2013 will be the building blocks for a bright future at the Garden.
Prev
Next
#5. Carter-Williams
In February, GoLocal's John Barone broke the news that Hamilton native, and Syracuse Orange guard, Michael Carter-Williams would declare for the 2013 NBA draft after his sophomore season.
Carter-Williams, a 2011 McDonald’s All-American at St. Andrews in Rhode Island, was drafted 11th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. He is currently having himself quite a rookie year, with 17.6 point and 7.8 assist per game averages.
Prev
Next
#4. Bob Lobel
For more than three decades, Bob Lobel was part of the telecast at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. And this year, after the tragic attacks that occurred at that site, Lobel shared his memories of the event, and how the bombings affected him in one of the best-written and well-read articles that GoLocal had the privilege of publishing in 2013.
Read the article here.
Prev
Next
#3. Algonquin Lip-Dubbing
The athletes at Northborough's Algonquin Regional High School became internet celebrities in 2013 after their YouTube video went viral.
The video featured dozens of students performing a lip-dub of a song by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen while backpedaling through the school.
The video was part of a marketing class project, and had more than 18,000 hits within 48 hours of being published.
Watch the amazing video here.
Prev
Next
#1. Marathon Bombings
The biggest sports story in New England of 2013 transcended athletics, touching the lives of our local communities and much of the world.
On Monday, April 15--Patriots Day in the Bay State-- an otherwise normal celebratory day in Boston turned tragic just before 3:00 PM. Just feet away from the finish line for the Boston Marathon, two explosions from homemade bombs went off, killing three spectators, and injuring more than two hundred.
The tragedy gripped the entire nation; sparking emotions ranging from fear to outrage. But from the wreckage, emerged evidence of New England's resilience. From the impassioned speech at Fenway by David Ortiz, and Rene Rancourt's touching rendition of the National Anthem at the TD Garden, to the outpouring of support through the One Fund Boston, and the individual heroes like Carlos Arredondo and Joe Andruzzi (along with many, many others); New Englanders and Americans responded in an enormous way.
Read more of GoLocal's Coverage of the bombings here.
Related Articles
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Email to a friend
Permalink
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It