Hammond Lumber name could adorn Augusta auditorium under rights deal
File PHOTO / MAUREEN MILLIKEN
Hammond Lumber Co. has put in a bid for sub-naming rights at the Augusta Civic Center auditorium.
The Augusta Civic Center received a proposal from Belgrade-based Hammond Lumber Co. for naming rights on the center’s auditorium.
The sub-naming rights partnership would have a 10-year term and a value of $82,800 per year, or $828,000 overall, Margaret Noel, the center’s director, told the Augusta City Council earlier this month.
Noel said she was seeking authorization from the council to move forward with the partnership.
The center is still suffering from the effects of the pandemic shutdown, which ground to a halt revenues from events such as corporate conventions, trade shows, rock shows and graduations.
“In the short term, the additional revenue would assist the center getting back to square one from the pandemic and in long run will help keep our budget balanced and to stay competitive in the marketplace,” Noel said.
The $82,800 per year folds in Hammond’s existing ad revenue at the center, Noel noted. The actual naming rights would be about $50,000 per year.
In a memo to the council, Noel said the goal was to investigate additional revenue opportunities to assist in short- and long-term financial goals.
“The primary focus is non-event revenues in the form of strategic local partnerships through advertising, partnerships and sponsorships,” she wrote. “Advertiser, partner, and sponsor revenues are important revenue sources because they supplement the budget, they do not add wear and tear to the building, and they are essentially expense-free.”
In the short-term, she said, the revenue would help offset losses due to unexpected repairs and maintenance until the center can be rehabilitated. In the future, the revenue would be critical to efforts to keep the center thriving and competitive as additional revenues to help replace equipment and caretaking of the facility.
Elsewhere in Maine, Cross Insurance has naming rights on Cross Insurance Arena in Portland and Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Maine Savings has its name on the waterfront concerts Amphitheater in Bangor. Camden National and Norway Savings each have their names on ice arenas in Maine.
Name change
The Augusta auditorium is already named for Paul G. Poulin, a former city manager.
Noel said that, after meeting with the Poulin family earlier this month, the family agreed to work with the center to find a suitable alternative to the original dedication.
“We have received their blessing to move forward,” she said.
The main entrance to the facility would be rededicated for Poulin and a graphic would be created in the lobby that showcases the history of the center and feature not only Poulin, but the other members of the center’s building committee.
Fair offer?
The sub-naming rights would be exclusive to the auditorium. Noel said she hoped to begin the renaming project in February, pending council approval.
“I think this is a really good opportunity,” said Augusta City Council member Michael Michaud, who represents Ward 3.
“Did we research if that was a fair offer?” he asked Noel.
“Yes, we did,” she replied. In another instance, sub-naming rights to a different arena’s lounge amounted to $25,000 per year, she said.
The council said it would take up the discussion at a future meeting.
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