Venue Detail
Norfolk Admirals
Revenues From Sports Venues Pro Facilities Report
February, 2011
Norfolk Admirals
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201 E Brambleton Ave Norfolk, VA 23510 Phone: 757-640-1212 Fax: 757-622-0552 URL: www.norfolkadmirals.com
Owner
Mark Garcea, Page Johnson
League
American Hockey League East Division
Venue
Scope Arena, 201 E Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510-2411 Owner: City of Norfolk Managed by: SMG Facility Management Built: 1971 Capacity: 10,500 Permanent concession stands: 6 Concessionaire: Aramark Soft drink: Coca Cola Beer: MillerCoors
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $315 to $515 Single tickets range from $11.00 to $16.00
Attendance
2007 average attendance: 4,684 2008 average attendance: 4,241 2009 average attendance: 4,109
There are no luxury suites or club seats in the facility and no immediate plans for changes.
Upgrading Scope Arena would cost more than $60 million, a figure that is much higher than city officials are prepared to invest. The report came from Ellerbe Becket and a local architectural firm that prepared a $300,000 study of the building.
The Admirals are counting on an upgraded facility to improve their revenues. The team wants 20 luxury suites, club seats and an overall seating increase of 2,000.
Some City Council members are suggesting the money would be better spent on a new building rather than rebuilding Scope. Even destroying Scope could cost $20 million because of asbestos issues.The building has also found new competition from the Ted Constant Center that recently opened at Old Dominion University.
Norfolk will pay the Admirals an estimated $450,000 to play at Scope Arena beginning in 2004 while the team will pay $1 in rent per year in a new five-year lease.
The lease caps game expenses at $2,000 per game and requires that the city pay the team a $150,000 developmental grant next year and $100,000 a year after that. The Admirals can keep all building advertising revenue and 70 percent of the city's share of concession earnings. The concession revenue is estimated at $700,000. The previous lease, with the previous owners, gave the team $250,000 in support a year.
The city expects the new owners to generate more excitement about the team and bring more business downtown. The larger crowds are expected to generate more tax revenue in area restaurants and bars. If the team does well, the lease allows the city to take 35 percent of all gross revenues above $3 million. (Facilities, Financial, Ice Hockey, Professional Sports)