A focus group to collect opinions and brainstorm solutions around Roanoke's aging civic center has wrapped up its work. But its final meeting included a stark reminder of the challenges it faces.
Roanoke's Berglund Center has two sold-out shows coming up: the farewell tour of pop metal superstars Journey in June, and bluegrass musician Billy Strings in July. But those kinds of shows could be in danger, as the city questions the Berglund Center's future.
The city regularly subsidizes the facility, which includes a 10,000-seat coliseum, a 2,000-seat performing arts theater, a special events center and a conference hall.
"In my opinion, we knock it out of the park on the operating side, but it's not enough to sustain," says Robyn Schon, the Berglund Center's general manager. "We take a loss every year. Our subsidy can exceed a million dollars."
And that's just the operating subsidy. The city also pays $1.5 million dollars each year to support capital expenses. But the aging facility needs more — officials say about $30 million dollars more.
Schon says those capital needs include building systems like its heating and cooling, and fire alarms. In the last year, the Berglund Center had to pause a Broadway show, and a roomful of prospective lawyers taking a bar exam because of malfunctions.
"We've done the aesthetics," Schon says. "We've put the lipstick on. Now it's time to get down and dirty and take a look at how or what we need to keep the building going so we can continue bringing the entertainment to Roanoke."
Schon says investing in the Berglund Center's infrastructure would lower its operating costs, and therefore reduce the operating subsidy, though it's still likely to operate at a loss.
The entertainment landscape has changed since the facility was built in 1971. Regionally, it competes against 14,493-seat John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and more recently the 2,500-seat Pantheon venue at Caesars Virginia in Danville. The Berglund Center also faces local competition from the Salem Civic Center, the Jefferson Center, the Exchange Music Hall and Elmwood Park — all in the Roanoke Valley — plus the Harvester Performance Hall in Rocky Mount and the Coves at Smith Mountain Lake in Union Hall. Schon says Berglund even competes against Sidewinders, a downtown Roanoke restaurant known for booking up-and-coming country artists.
The Berglund Center's history also places it in a tenuous position. The Roanoke civic center was built on the site of former neighborhood blocks that were claimed by the city during urban renewal. The facility's neighbors in Gainsboro and other Roanoke neighborhoods still carry memories of those years, and have been included in the focus group.
The city council will consider Schon's request for capital improvements, but not immediately, and within the context of larger discussion about the Berglund Center's future. The city is cutting its budget and reworking its capital improvement plan.
Some council members back the idea of locating a casino on the site, but that idea failed to win any support in this year's General Assembly session, and it faces significant community opposition.
Council member Phazhon Nash, who convened the focus group, says its work will provide the foundation for future conversations about the facility.
