OVG to take reins of new Mobile arena

Article posted by Coliseum, February 20^th, 2025

Image: City of Mobile

The City of Mobile in Alabama has agreed a 22-year contract with Oak View Group (OVG) to manage its new $300 million Civic Center Arena.

AL.com said the council approved the agreement that will enable OVG to manage the new arena once it’s completed in early 2027.

The City of Mobile plans to tear down the 60-year-old Mobile Civic Center and construct a new, world-class 10,000 capacity entertainment destination suited for concerts, family shows and sporting events.

The new venue will be uniquely designed to support Mobile’s Mardi Gras traditions, while providing a state-of-the-art venue capable of bringing in major acts that previously drove through the Port City en-route to other destinations.

The design will ensure that structurally, funtionally and aesthetically the arena will meet the current requirements from the sports entertainment industry, allowing Mobile to host top-billed entertainment that could not be hosted in the current Civic Center.

The city said this new arena will have countless features thoughtfully designed to provide exceptional experiences, including retail spaces, luxury suites, VIP clubs, premium seating, great sightlines and dynamic acoustics.

Flexible seating and layout options will allow the new arena to easily accommodate a range of activities, including smaller shows and larger events with up to 10,000 spectators and fans.

The design also includes multiple ballrooms capable of hosting events of all sizes — offering greater flexibility for Mardi Gras balls and local events and creating additional spaces for conventions.

In addition to concerts and live performances, the new Mobile Civic Center will be built to host professional hockey, ice skating performances and many other youth, collegiate and professional sporting events.

To ensure the highest level of programming and customer experience, the City of Mobile said it is partnering with OVG as part of a multi-year operational agreement that includes the Mobile Convention Center, the Saenger Theatre, and the new state-of-the-art Civic Center Arena.

As the global leader in live experience venue development, management, and premium hospitality, OVG is a natural partner for this effort. OVG owns and operates a wide range of venues globally, including stadiums, arenas, theaters, convention centers and cultural attractions.

Together with Live Nation, the largest event promoter in the world, they will bring in the performances and events that will make Mobile a destination for live entertainment in the Southeast.

Construction of Mobile’s Civic Center, Theater and Expo Hall was completed in 1964. At age 60, the Civic Center is approaching obsolescence, and the facility is not positioned to attract currently popular arena entertainment due to physical limitations.

The facilities no longer adequately serve the purposes for which they were built. The customer experience is completely subpar when compared to the experience at newer facilities across the region.

A renovation was projected to cost nearly $250 million, without knowing what additional expenses might present themselves during the project. Based on the City’s current estimates, a new facility would cost an additional $50 million and would address many issues that a renovation of the Civic Center could not.

Based on the current designs, the demolition of the current Civic Center site and the construction a new arena will be approximately $300 million.

It will be financed through cash contributions from the City of Mobile, project partners, sponsorship opportunities, strategic borrowing through the bond market and other unique funding sources.

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