Improvements keep coming for Civic Arena

By Riley Funk

The Civic Arena will soon see more upgrades to make it a more self-sustaining facility after the city allocated more than $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to various projects Monday night.

Council members voted 8-0-0 in favor of providing American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase new equipment for the Civic Arena. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities department will receive $25,000 for two new free-standing volleyball systems, as well as $196,265 to buy and install a new portable stage at the facility.

Parks director Chuck Kempf said the Civic Arena improvements continue to help the facility grow as an asset for the city. For a site that has already hosted the MIAA Volleyball Championship and the Bill Snyder Classic, getting new equipment in place and owning the equipment will make it easier to host large events.

“We can provide that for those events, so that that’s what it really simplifies it and it makes it a more professional experience for people to deal with us when we have all of those things (equipment) in place. We’re not having to scramble around at the last minute to put put those things in place,” Kempf said. “That’s really the biggest benefit to having that that in our own possession, where we don’t have to go outside and hire others to do that for us.”

The site has already seen some renovations, including new seating, and has plans for more, after funding was passed to provide a new paint job, among other projects.

Monday night’s council meeting also heard the first read on two more bills that would further enhance Civic Arena. The first would cost $87,069 to help pay for a scorers table, two basketball scoreboards and three locker room clocks. An additional $50,000 project would go toward sound system improvements in the arena.

If these bills pass, they will also be paid for by ARPA funding.

Kempf said it’s a good feeling to have proper funding to improve the city building that is beginning to host more popular marquee events.

“It’s nice to be able to finally get the funding to address those issues and make sure that we’re we’re carrying that building into the future,” Kempf said. “I think now, hopefully everybody in the community does understand that we are committed to making that building better and making it more modern and making it more useful.”

Use for the facility will continue to grow in 2024, particularly during March Madness in the spring. The NCAA Division II Elite Eight (March 25), National Semifinals (March 27) and National Championship game (March 29) will be played on the floor of Civic Arena.

Tickets are available for purchase through the St. Joseph Sports Commission at https://stjomosports.com/events/.