A Washington home improvement company is buying the naming rights to the Peoria Civic Center Theater. It's the first such deal for the theater in the venue's 42-year history.
Prairie Home Alliance and Civic Center officials announced the seven-year agreement at a press conference Friday.
Civic Center general manager Rik Edgar said the Civic Center Theater averaged 70 events annually over the past two years. That's more than double what it was booking when ASM Global assumed management of the Civic Center in 2018.
Tim Riggenbach, the 3rd District Peoria City Councilman and liaison to the Civic Center Authority Board, said the deal is a "natural progression" of the long partnership the Civic Center enjoys with the Prairie Home Alliance.
"Naming rights are a trend that have been around for a long time. You know, when we think about where the where the Chicago Bulls or Blackhawks play, we say 'the United Center' just so easily," he said. "And I think that's really what our hope is here today for the Prairie Home Alliance Theater."
Prairie Home Alliance president and owner Steve Jackson said the deal is mutually beneficial.
"When you think about our community and some of the hubs, the centers where people interact, this one's at the top of the list, and we are grateful to be associated with them. (They) have a great brand. We're hoping we're bringing an equal brand that will be good for both of us," he said.
Officials declined to disclose the financial terms of the naming rights deal at the publicly-owned venue.
During the press conference, Edgar said the Prairie Home Alliance naming rights deal isn't so much about the financial aspects.
"We believe in partnerships. Prairie Home Alliance has been a partner of ours for over a decade, and this is expanding that role to a greater partnership in helping us get more aligned in the community," he said.
The 2,200 seat theater will continue to host comedians, concerts, and other performances, including a Broadway Series in August anchored by Wicked and an upcoming appearance later this month by comic Jo Koy.
The city of Peoria in 2023 loaned the Civic Center $20 million to make facility upgrades, including theater renovations and replacement of Carver Arena's failing ice plant. The venue posted record adjusted gross income of $7.3 million in its last fiscal year.
Peoria Civic Center officials have also tried to sell the naming rights for the whole venue. In 2023, a request for proposals sought to find a buyer willing to pony up $5 million in exchange for a decade's worth of naming rights.
Naming rights for the Civic Center's arena are off the table. It is dubbed Carver Arena in perpetuity after the late Peoria Mayor Richard Carver, who originally led the efforts to build the Civic Center more than four decades ago.
