Cumberland County commissioners see full design for Crown Event Center

Here’s why architects are calling it ‘an iconic building’

Members of the county’s Crown Event Center Committee saw for the first time full design plans for downtown Fayetteville’s new and improved event venue on Monday.

The design, presented by project architect Bill Koonz, would lead to what Koonz called an “iconic building for the city.” Commissioners Glenn Adams and Jimmy Keefe — the third committee member, Commissioner Jeannette Council, was not present Monday — appeared pleased with the update, a drastic change from January’s surprise reveal that the project was over budget and could not meet initial design deadlines. 

The Crown Event Center will replace the Crown Theatre and Crown Arena at the Crown Complex on Coliseum Drive. The old venue dates back to the late 1960s and does not comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A 2014 lawsuit gave the county a deadline of Oct. 31, 2025, to replace the theater and arena with an ADA-compliant facility. The new event center was intended to be completed by late 2025.

Project managers alerted commissioners in January that the estimated cost of the building had increased from $131.7 million to $163.5 million and that construction could not be completed until 2027 because of higher supply and labor costs and design considerations. The committee ultimately approved a redesign that cut some features and 15,000 in square footage, reducing the cost to $145 million with a revised completion date of April 2027.

During Monday’s meeting, committee members saw glossy designs featuring extensive wood paneling, earthy tones and industrial design details Koonz said were inspired by Fayetteville’s history.

“This building is going to have a presence on the street that is very different than what we have elsewhere in Fayetteville,” Koonz said. 

According to Koonz and the design plans, the event center’s features will include:

• Two ticket pick-up windows in the lobby and a ticket pick-up window on the outside of the building where people can purchase same-day tickets
• A lobby bar 
• Concession stands in the lobby
• Split queuing in the lobby “to try to get everyone in as quickly as possible” 
• Two lobby staircases 
• A pre-function space on the first floor with a marquis ceiling inspired by Broadway
• A multi-purpose room on the first floor with capacity for 250 people that can be divided into two rooms
• A VIP outdoor terrace and indoor bar on the second floor
• A VIP lounge on the second floor with a retractable glass partition
• Two VIP suites on the second floor
• 3,000 retractable seats in the main event space

The lobby will feature 60-foot-tall columns clad with a wood-type finish, Koonz said, and the ceiling space over the two staircases will be dotted with nighttime lighting emulating a starry sky. The staircase railings will also be lit.

“That becomes real important to try to again reinforce the feeling of being out in nature,” he said.

Koonz told the committee the lobby will immediately give visitors a sense of grandeur. 

“We’re talking space that’s 60 feet in the air,” he said. “You’ve got a 28-to-30-foot-wide open three-story space.”

The second floor’s VIP outdoor terrace will feature views to the north and would possibly be available to be leased, Koonz said. The main event space will be a flat floor concert venue with 3,000 retractable seats that slope up in the back to ensure all attendees have unobstructed views.

Keefe expressed slight concern at the use of folding chairs in the main event space, noting that the center would hopefully bring “high-dollar acts” that might clash with the feel of folding chairs. 

“They are chairs that are traditional in a flat floor venue,” Koonz said. “These aren’t like your typical folding chairs that you buy at Walmart; these are theatrical seats that really are intended for that purpose. They’re used all over the place, so it really isn’t a downgrade by any stretch of the imagination.” 

The upper floors of the main event space will have fixed seats, Koonz noted.

Timeline

Koonz said a potential groundbreaking could happen around Sept. 13. 

“That would be the kickoff of activity on-site,” he said. 

The project’s estimated completion date is April 27, 2027, Koonz said. 

Exact costs for the project will be released to the county the week of June 3, but Koonz said those costs are tracking within the approved $145 million budget. 

“Current indication is that we are still on budget,” he said.

When the project comes to fruition, it will be one of the biggest event venues between Durham and Fayetteville, with only PNC Arena in Raleigh having greater capacity, Koonz said.

Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.

This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501c3 charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.