Port St. Lucie Civic Center Director Linda McCarthy explained Monday how she plans to cut operating losses by 14 percent and boost attendance by 6 percent this year at the city’s preeminent facility.
“We’re basically trending upward in revenue, event days and attendance,” McCarthy told the City Council. “And we’re trending downward in expenses and subsidy. So we are definitely trending in the right direction.”
Four classic rock concerts that are expected to draw crowds of up to 2,500 will be held outdoors on the Civic Center grounds, starting in February, McCarthy said. The Civic Center is expected to get within $44,000 of its goal of covering half its annual operating expenses during the 2019-2020 budget year, which started Oct. 1, city records show.
Operating losses are expected to decline by $290,000 to $1.8 million this year. Meanwhile, attendance is expected to increase by 7,000 to 115,000 from 108,000.
Civic Center operations cost the city $4 million last year after losing $2.8 million in 2016-2017, city records show.
The 100,000-square-foot Civic Center, featuring two large ballrooms and a health and fitness center, is the main attraction of City Center, a 40-acre community redevelopment project at U.S. 1 and Walton Road.
But the city’s two-decade-long dreams of a downtown-like shopping, dining and entertainment district with a hotel and residences remain on hold.
The 11-year-old Civic Center and parking garage have been plagued by construction defects and 21 acres of commercial real estate got tied up in federal court after the owner was accused of securities violations.
McCarthy, who was hired 11 months ago to turn around the finances, said an in-depth analysis of Civic Center operations enabled her to update the business plan to be more in line with venue industry standards.
“We reorganized it to five primary business lines: finance, operations, sales, marketing, and food and beverage,” McCarthy said.
So far, 300 events are scheduled for the budget year that started Oct. 1, McCarthy told the City Council.
That’s 18 more than last year and 45 more than the previous year.
The Civic Center installed a new sound system in the Emerald Ballroom this year to attract more events, McCarthy said. The center also bought 750 new banquet chairs to match the new carpet.
The space that once housed the Civic Center Café will be used as a guest services center with vending machines, charging stations, tables and televisions, where visitors and customers can relax, McCarthy said.
City officials are still negotiating with MidFlorida Credit Union for the naming rights to the Civic Center, McCarthy said. “It’s on track,” McCarthy said.