SALISBURY — After almost a year of researching the Wicomico Youth Civic Center, an economic study has been released detailing changes the facility may want to make within the next few years.
The study did not recommend tearing down and starting from the ground up; however, it did list ways the facility can modernize to keep existing shows and attract new business.
Among the recommendations are relaxing the facility’s strict no alcohol policy, redesigning the seat bowl to offer a closer experience and better sight lines, adding a mechanical curtain system that would allow the arena to be partitioned for smaller events and reconfiguring the layout to allow for simultaneous events.
“It is our belief that with some relatively modest expansion and modernization, the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center, which operates very well, can operate even better with respect to bringing events and bringing economic development to this area,” said Mike Frenz, executive director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, which undertook the study along with Crossroads Consulting.
The analysis contains several factors affecting growth and financial impact, including the center’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Susan Sieger of Crossroads Consulting listed the WYCC’s central location on Delmarva, affordability, level of repeat business, established brand and the consolidation of the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Department as strengths of the facility.
Regardless of its strengths, Sieger said the center has followed a national downward trend in recent years, as attendance has fallen from 239,000 in fiscal year 2006 to 169,000 in fiscal year 2011. The number of events has also dropped from 229 in fiscal year 2006 to 194 in fiscal year 2011.
Sieger also listed the limitations of the existing building to accommodate simultaneous events, the lack of modern amenities, the limited hotel supply in the immediate area and the lack of alcohol as weaknesses.
Ed Urban, chairman of the WYCC Commission, said while the land the center is on was deeded to the county with a provision prohibiting alcohol, he would be okay if it were removed.
“We would like to get that covenant removed, and the only way I would even propose it is if it were a win-win-win situation,” Urban said.
Those wins are: improved programming for area youth, a reduction in tax appropriations because the center would have a better bottom line and a transfer of the 38 acres the center sits on to a different location to be developed as a park.
“If we have a better bottom line we can do more in our recreation, and the park would provide them with the park it was intended to,” said Urban, adding even if alcohol could be legally sold at the center, it wouldn’t be offered at every event.
“Our existing committee would have to approve each event — say professional boxing would have alcohol sales, Sesame on the Street would not have alcohol sales.”
Regarding economic impact, the study estimates alcohol sales would attract 14 more events per year, 15,550 more attendees, $810,000 in additional direct economic benefit, and 20 additional full-time and part-time jobs.
Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt believes alcohol sales may be an important part of moving the center forward.
“We have to respect the wishes of the family that donated the property and I think we can still do that,” said Pollitt, referring to the possibility of having a park fulfill the original commitment of an alcohol-free baseball field. “If we are going to be serious about having a civic center and all it entails, I think we need to be serious about serving alcohol.”
Urban said it is likely the issue would have to be addressed in the courts.
If the county decides to move forward on upgrading the center, it would have to agree to enter Phase Two with the Maryland Stadium Authority, during which the cost of each upgrade would be calculated. Then the County Council and county executive could make a more informed decision as to which upgrades to choose.
jshutt@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4643