Hockey is coming back to Augusta under new deal
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It looks like hockey will be returning to Augusta.
The Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority entered a new agreement Tuesday with the Oak View Group, which will take control over the yet-to-be-built downtown arena and Bell Auditorium, operating under a new contract.
It won’t be the first time for Augusta to have hockey. In the late 1990s, the Augusta Lynx Minor League Hockey team hit the ice in the James Brown Arena, which is being torn down to make way for a new one.
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Under that contract, Oak View will be fully responsible for bringing a hockey team here and making sure it remains successful.
The company has gone as far as to donate $10 million toward that.
And that pays for the entire thing, so this won’t cost taxpayers a dime.
A feasibility study shows the venture will be very successful.
“Through this contract, we will maximize the potential of our new Arena, ensure profitability for the Authority, fund capital improvements and maintenance, and ultimately, set up this Board – and the Augusta Entertainment Complex – as a whole, for success long after we are all gone,” said Cedric Johnson, Chairman of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority. “We look forward to this continued partnership as we work in tandem to Build Augusta’s Future!”
The study shows that ice hockey will benefit the city with 45 more days of active business, which means more money for local restaurants and hotels.
They say it will bring jobs to the area, increase spending downtown by 60% and tax revenue by 40%.
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Leaders say it was not a quick decision.
“The coliseum authority wanted us to make sure it was right for Augusta,” said Michael Harvey, vice president of Nations Group. “That there was no risk, that they weren’t buying something they didn’t have to pay for. With the contract negotiations market analysis it is good for Augusta.”
The contract extension is for 10 years with a 10-year option.
The new 10,500-seat arena is expected to open in 2027 and include suites, loge boxes, a private club lounge and a connection to Bell Auditorium.
Located in downtown Augusta, the Bell Auditorium is a 2,700-seat theater that reopened on May 31 after being offline for a year to undergo expansion and refurbishments.
“We’ve been a long-standing partner through our management of the Augusta Entertainment Complex and are honored that the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority has entrusted Oak View Group to manage operations of the new Augusta arena,” said Peter Luukko, co-chairman of the company.
Oak View Group has provided management services at Bell Auditorium and James Brown Arena since 2008.
Leaders say it’s a win-win for bringing new life to the city.
“I think it’s going to bring a lot of excitement that hasn’t been seen downtown honestly,” says Harvey.
This is all still in the early stages, which means leaders are still figuring out the logistics of bringing a team here.
That also means the new plans of Oak View to take over responsibility for the success of the property won’t go into effect until the new arena is finished.
That’s slated for early 2027 and outside demolition is around the corner in November.
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