Editors note: A previous version of this column misquoted a comment from Commissioner Henry Tyson in which he stated he believes the county can “provide a minimal asset to this community.” Tyson stated he believes the county can “provide an amenable asset to this community.” CityView apologizes for this error.
Jami McLaughlin called Thursday’s meeting of the Cumberland County Civic Center Commission board of directors to order at the Crown Complex and it didn’t take the chairwoman long in reminding the six board members in attendance about the fate of the $152 million Crown Event Center.
“As far as I know, the Event Center is not being built downtown,” she told the board. “We will be renovating the Crown Theatre.”
Not a peep from the board from the outset, but the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners’ 5-2 voted on June 4 to walk away from the Event Center, which was to be constructed along Gillespie Street. East Russell Street and Otis Jones Parkway came up later when Peter Pappas said he was not pleased with the votes of Commissioners’ Chair Kirk deViere, Henry Tyson, Marshall Faircloth, Jeannette Council and Pavan Patel.
Pappas agrees with Commissioners Glenn Adams and Vernonia Jones that downtown is the right place for the Crown Event Center.
“I was shocked at the cancellation of the Event Center,” Pappas said.
Pappas also wondered why the Civic Center Commission was not consulted in discussions.
“If we’re not involved in something of the decision,” he said, “I don’t know why we’re here.”
Something you may wish to know about Peter Pappas. He’s not afraid to let you know where he stands on an issue. Peter Pappas doesn’t mince his words.
Pappas wasn’t alone in his disagreement with abandoning the downtown center.
“A tremendous mistake,” said Ken Burns, a 61-year-old lawyer and board member. “And, yes, I’m disappointed. I don’t want to be pessimistic, but we lost an opportunity.”
Lee Spruill, a new board member, said he recalls attending many events at the Crown Theatre (circa 1968), but not so many in the past 20 years.
Board members Nathan Cuffee and Lynndora Thompson offered no comments. Board members Raqi Barnett, Chloe Thaler and Allen Rogers were absent. Rogers was scheduled to be sworn in as a commission member but was a no-show for his oath.
Renovating the theatre and arena
Pappas says renovating, remodeling, modernizing or rehabilitating or whatever you wish to call it is a tall financial order, too, when it comes to the theatre and arena.
Perhaps that is so.
But once county commissioners have a cost for renovating, remodeling, modernizing or rehabilitating the theatre and arena, deViere says, the board will discuss how to proceed and what it will be comfortable with moving forward.
“I believe we can fix what we have, provide an amenable asset to this community and we can actually have two venues instead of one,” Tyson said before Commissioner Patel’s motion to have County Manager Clarence Grier pursue a Request for Quote “for development of framework for the renovation of the Crown Arena and Theatre,” and report back to the commissioners within 30 days. The motion passed 5-2 with deViere, Tyson, Faircloth and council in agreement with Patel. Adams and Jones voted against the motion.
At the end of the day on June 4, deViere, Tyson, Faircloth, Patel and Council said escalating costs that had spiked from $145 million to $152 million and an additional cost of another $13 million on top of $33 million for an accompanying parking garage led to the decision to terminate the Event Center.
The financial hemorrhaging, they believed, was too much, and the bleeding had to stop somewhere.
Or in the words, if you will, of Popeye the Sailorman: “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more.”
DeViere later said it was a matter of fiscal responsibility and sound stewardship on the part of himself, Tyson, Faircloth, Patel and Council, and more pressing county issues to include toxic water concerns and clean water for all and Cumberland County Schools’ infrastructure priorities.
‘Yes, they can be renovated’
As for remodeling the theatre and the arena, Crown Complex General Manager Seth Benalt responded to a Kirby File inquiry near the end of Thursday’s Civic Center meeting.
“Anything is possible,” he said about the theatre and the adjoining arena. “Yes, they can be renovated. Yes, we can work to make the renovation a reality. If this is the direction we’re going, we’ll make it work. We’re excited about the future however it comes.”
That’s a positive and optimistic attitude.
Something you may wish to know about Seth Benalt is that if any one human being knows about the Crown Theatre and Crown Arena, it’s Seth Benalt. He has been at the Crown Complex since 2016 and general manager since 2021, and he knows the theatre, arena and coliseum like no one else.
“I don’t want anybody on this board to think we can’t be successful,” Benalt said. “We will figure our next opportunity, and we’ll change our game plan. And that’s what we’ll do.”
Epilogue
Seems like everybody has an opinion, and you can be sure they’ll be all over Facebook and social media either pro or con.
“The Crown Event Center project in downtown Fayetteville had serious flaws that made it fiscally irresponsible without mechanisms to safeguard taxpayer dollars,” deViere said Friday. “This project carries a $186 million total cost, including a $33 million parking deck with no real American Disabilities Act solution. The cost has ballooned from an initial $80 million to over $160 million, then back to $144 million, not including the required parking deck.”
And finally $152 million just for construction of the Event Center before five commissioners said no more to continue the project.
And for further consideration, there’s a difference between an Event Center and a Performing Arts Center. As enticing as architectural renderings of the proposed downtown center with the alluring pane-glass windows were, Peter Pappas was right about something for sure.
“It’s gone,” Pappas said.
Editor’s note: Jami McLaughlin is a freelance writer for CityView.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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