Should Creve Coeur Sell Naming Rights To The City's Ice Arena?

The have been fodder for much discussion in recent years, as city leaders try to get more out of the facilities while also doing more to show residents and consumers that they even exist.

The city struck public relations gold earlier this year when country music legend while in town earlier this year.

But work continues on efforts to make the facilities stand up on their own financially, which would allow the city to stop or reduce the transfer of thousands of dollars annually to support them.

Monday night, City Council members discussed an idea which has been suggested in public comments made at meetings over the last few years: naming rights.

The facility which comes up most often for comparison when this subject is broached is the Hardees IcePlex in Chesterfield. City Administrator Mark Perkins did not have specifics on how much Hardees paid for the rights, but a 2008 Suburban Journals article estimated that it was at least $100,000 annually.

Perkins said publicly owned facilities like these were rare in Missouri, but that in Springfield, a facility was in a 10 year agreement worth $200,000 annually. According to Springfield, MO city documents, Medicacom pays $150,000 annually for naming rights to a city ice arena there and another $50,000 for a tennis stadium.

In both cases, the facilities in Chesterfield and Springfield are larger, both in ice space and seating capacity than Creve Coeur's, which has just one sheet of ice.

One resident who spoke Monday voiced concern about the loss of history that might come from such a switch, as the complex is named in honor of former Mayor Harold Dielmann.

The resident also pointed out the headaches caused by the KKK's push to adopt a highway in Missouri, or what could happen if someone wanted to honor someone like Adolf Hitler.

No decisions came of the discussion, as council members said they were just interested in having time to talk about it.

Perkins said the city was more likely to look at other marketing opportunities, specifically at the golf course, like hole sponsorships, or advertising on scorecards and golf carts.

What do you think? Should Creve Coeur pursue a naming rights agreement for the city's Ice Arena?