Bon Secours Wellness Arena

[StrangeCock]

The Bi-Lo Center!

Charter Communications Entrance!

Crown Nissan Ticket Office!

...what's next?

Land Rover Loading Dock!

Fairway Ford Flagpole!

KIA! OF! GREER! SCOREBOARD!

Waste Management Bathroom!

[RestedTraveler]

This sort of crap really should not be necessary though...sadly. I thought they were doing better now than when they had hockey games scheduled? If they're doing so well, then why the corporate sponsorship crap. This is something I hope the DPC shoots down, for once. Besides, doesn't Bi-Lo have something to say about this? Didn't their Naming Rights contract guarantee them a prominent location for their name? There's nothing more prominent than over the main entrance for everyone to see as they drive into town.

[GvilleSC]

KIA! OF! GREER! SCOREBOARD!

Just shoot me now!

Shouldn't the sale of the Gateway site have helped with the Bilo Center's finances?

[distortedlogic]

Too early for April Fools?

Man, this is truly pathetic guys. Guess they'll name the steps and seats as well.

[Greenville]

I honestly don't think this is so bad. The awnings used to have team logos on them anyway, so having Crown Nissan there won't be much of a change from how it once was. I do agree that having Charter Communications over the main entrance will seem strange, but everyone will still be able to see the Bi-Lo Center title - albeit at a slightly higher position. The renderings make it seem somewhat cluttered, but in reality I don't think it will look tacky. And besides, if it gives the Bi-Lo Center an income boost then that is okay in my book.

[gs3]

It isn't bad and isn't great. Don't really have a strong opinion either way on this, so if it is more money for Bi-Lo, all the better. Not much different than West End Field's "Spinx 500 Club".

[RestedTraveler]

It isn't bad and isn't great. Don't really have a strong opinion either way on this, so if it is more money for Bi-Lo, all the better. Not much different than West End Field's "Spinx 500 Club".

Other than the fact that this is obvious corporate sponsorship on the outside of the building rather than the inside. I don't mind if Crown Nissan and Charter and anybody else sponsor walls, bathrooms, concessions, etc. on the inside of the building, but if you start throwing too many names on the outside, it looks TACKY.

[Galley]

In the immortal words of Mr. Horse: "No sir, I don't like it".

[DowntownCityGirl]

In the immortal words of Mr. Horse: "No sir, I don't like it".

I don't know. It's a BIG building, and (while admitting I haven't studied the drawings), if you're not able to view more than 1 or 2 different signs at one time, I don't know that it's all THAT terrible. I agree that it should be clear who the building's title sponsor is, but after that, so what if the entrances have different names? The idea is to keep the venue open and continuing on what seems to be an upward trend, and I'd sure rather see that happen with a different signage package than to have the building's financial position slide back in the other direction.

And maybe I'm dreaming, but perhaps after a few years of increasingly successful operation under multiple signs -- and a healthier economy -- a big player may step back in to wrap all the signage under one umbrella. That's what we really need here, but if no one's ready to step up, then I think it's the BI-LO Center's responsibility to figure out Plan B.

[Spartan]

It makes it look like the Charter Communications building. This will be confusing to visitors. The other problem I see is that it could become something like a 3-d sunday newspaper ad section that you just ignore unless you're looking for something.

[DT-Gville]

BiLo Center is getting ready to get some competition from the Simpsonville ampitheater - Gville News Article

[gvegascple]

BiLo Center is getting ready to get some competition from the Simpsonville ampitheater - Gville News Article

This is great news for the area. I hope that the management does a good job of pulling in acts and festivals. I miss outdoor summer concerts, all we have downtown is the Peace Center and Flour Field which dont lend themselves well to larger national acts. I miss going to WolfTrap up in Virginia in the summers. I hope they let patrons bring their own wine and food to shows!

Another interesting item that I pulled from the article was how indifferent the Mgt of BiLo is to the competition. It would be a shame for Greenville if the Bilo Center went under (more so than it currently is) due to mismanagement. To not see your competition as competition, seems very foolish on their part.

[DT-Gville]

I personally haven't been happy with the shows that the BiLo center has been pulling in. I live in the city within walking distance of the BiLo center but often have to go to Clemson to see bands I like. Guess it is just a matter of taste. I also would like for the BiLo center to step up and meet this competition.

[GSP Tiger]

Hopefully Simpsonville can attract major artists who ignore Greenville for obvious reasons.

Bi-Lo Center should look at its other multiple uses. The ice, Zamboni, and support for hockey is there. The correct management is not.

[GvilleSC]

Hopefully Simpsonville can attract major artists who ignore Greenville for obvious reasons.

Bi-Lo Center should look at its other multiple uses. The ice, Zamboni, and support for hockey is there. The correct management is not.

What are the obvious reasons to avoid Greenville?

[RestedTraveler]

Aside from the acts/shows that are being booked is the maintenance of the building itself. It's horrible. While attending the Weigh-Ins for the Bassmaster Classic, I found the dirt/dust/trash hidden behind seats in dark corners of the Bi-Lo center to be extremely disappointing. This wasn't just stuff left over after the weigh-ins either. It's stuff that looked as though it had been there for months/years. Likewise, the rust spots/stains dripping down below the "Bi-Lo Center" signs on the outside of the building were embarassing. Granted, I'm sure a lot of the people attending the weigh-ins could care less about the appearance of the outside or inside of the building, but I would at least expect the Bi-Lo Center management to give a damn. It's rather disgraceful.

I mean - this was a world-class event being held here, people...didn't anybody care to try to dress our showcase building up for the event? Clean the rust stains off. Collect the trash and clean the inside of the arena. It takes a pressure washer or two and some people to put some effort into it and *maybe* some paint. Perhaps even take time to illuminate the outside of the upper level of the building with some temporary (or permanent) color-changing LED spots (yes - it's me...beating a dad horse again).

...

Also - this is a bit off-topic, but does anybody know why puke-colored seats were chosen instead of something more pleasant (not to mention "normal") like dark green?

[RestedTraveler]

What are the obvious reasons to avoid Greenville?

I dunno...perhaps dozens of protesters at many shows holding signs telling artists and their fans that just because they oppose the war and support gay marriage they're going straight to hell? They were out in force for the Kid Rock Show last night. As if Kid Rock didn't already realize his chances of going to hell were better than 50/50...I somehow doubt they'll make a similar appearance for the Blue Man Group. Don't blue people go straight to hell, too, just for being blue???

The ampitheater in Simpsonville will definitely have the cost edge from minimal maintenance then again...as I stated in my post above, it doesn't seem that the Bi-Lo Center spends much on maintenance these days anyway. I'd think weather would be a factor though for any show. I could see things like the Warped Tour and bands that could draw huge crowds outdoors being draws for Simpsonville, but that's about all they'd be able to pull away from the Bi-Lo Center, I suspect. There's so much more that the Bi-Lo Center can provide that an ampitheater can't. That may account for the indifference from the Bi-Lo Center management. It's entirely possible for amphitheatres and arenas to co-exist in a market such as this. If anybody's going to out-duel the Bi-Lo Center for events in this area, it'd be Littlejohn or even the Colonial Center.

Edited March 3, 2008 by RestedTraveler

[GvilleSC]

I dunno...perhaps dozens of protesters at many shows holding signs telling artists and their fans that just because they oppose the war and support gay marriage they're going straight to hell? They were out in force for the Kid Rock Show last night. As if Kid Rock didn't already realize his chances of going to hell were better than 50/50...I somehow doubt they'll make a similar appearance for the Blue Man Group. Don't blue people go straight to hell, too, just for being blue???

Call me crazy, but I thought Simpsonville was just a few miles away and in the same county?? Or maybe the protesters just don't have cars? I mean seriously, if you're not coming to Greenville for those reasons, you won't make an appearance to Simpsonville, either, which is why I was asking.

[RestedTraveler]

Call me crazy, but I thought Simpsonville was just a few miles away and in the same county?? Or maybe the protesters just don't have cars? I mean seriously, if you're not coming to Greenville for those reasons, you won't make an appearance to Simpsonville, either, which is why I was asking.

Good point. I guess I was just under the impression that the bible-beaters were ultra-liberal in Simpsonville. I still don't think they'll hurt the Bi-Lo Center too much...I mean, it's not Red Rocks or anything even close.

Edited March 3, 2008 by RestedTraveler

[whitehourseview]

I don't think there is any real money to have much in the way of maintenance, or capital improvements at the Bi Lo Center. The facility basically is one step ahead of its debt payments, has been for years. I don't think there has been any real improvements or such in that facility since before the NCAA basketball tournament, and that was six years ago now.

It was always a near run thing on getting a constant stream of revenue to not only pay the debt, but continue to make improvements and have quality entertainment. The facility seems like it is in maintenance mode mostly. Anyone familiar with the decades of the coliseum debate in Greenville probably isn't surprised that the facility struggles. There isn't any real money for it, nor is there much community desire for it.

When it was opened in '98, there was a nice, top level appreciation for it, especially in the number of luxury suites used, the early crowds for hockey, etc., but the curve of crowd total crowd size and luxury rentals has grown smaller and smaller over time. Special events have just died there. The Southern Conference basketball tournament didn't draw flies, and the even fled to North Charleston, probably never to come back for example. Add in competition with the Colonial Center, the Gwinett Arena, the arenas in Charlotte, along with all the other issues and there you have a ten year old facility that is aging fast, and unless some things change - for this goes far, far beyond what management does or doesn't do (and with Centerpoint having less of a role since the Grrowl folding) the Bi Lo Center will just be a larger version of the Memorial Auditorium after a while.

[GvilleSC]

When does Bilo's naming rights run out? I think that would be the time to see upgrades.

[Greenville]

I never really go to the Bi-Lo Center, and have only been a handful of times over the last 10 years. So take my comments with a grain of salt...

First of all, I think it's nice to have a 15,000-plus seat arena in our city. It has proven itself capable of hosting top-level performers and some high-profile sporting events.

If you go back to page 9 in this thread, you can see from a post last July that the Bi-Lo Center was #1 in ticket sales in the Carolinas and #16 in the world for a venue its size. It had a record number of concerts (30) over the course of one year, which was a Bi-Lo Center record. It ranks ahead of peer arenas in the state (Colonial Center in Columbia, North Charleston Coliseum, etc.). Doesn't it also rank in the top 70 arenas in the United States for total ticket sales or revenue, regardless of size?

As someone else mentioned on that same page, these accomplishments are despite the fact that we do not have a regular tenant. Considering the loss of the Grrrowl, Groove, and Rhinos, the arena has managed to do a pretty decent job. Plus, I think it's hard to have an arena in a mid-size metro area. The area is large enough to warrant consideration for big events, but not so large that those events are a given. There are enough people in the metro area to support things, but not so many people that attendance at those events is guaranteed. That's a tough sell, regardless of who is managing it.

With that said, I realize that the Bi-Lo Center isn't an amazing facility. It is fairly plain on the outside. The seats are an ugly color. There is rust. It could be cleaner. These things must be addressed. Why are there financial struggles, and how can we improve the arena? Is the problem management and organization, or simply a bad deal from the beginning? These issues will need to be addressed and resolved as Greenville moves forward. Because this is our arena, and will be for the foreseeable future.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Greenville

[ilaustin36]

I never really go to the Bi-Lo Center, and have only been a handful of times over the last 10 years. So take my comments with a grain of salt...

First of all, I think it's nice to have a 15,000-plus seat arena in our city. It has proven itself capable of hosting top-level performers and some high-profile sporting events.

If you go back to page 9 in this thread, you can see from a post last July that the Bi-Lo Center was #1 in ticket sales in the Carolinas and #16 in the world for a venue its size. It had a record number of concerts (30) over the course of one year, which was a Bi-Lo Center record. It ranks ahead of peer arenas in the state (Colonial Center in Columbia, North Charleston Coliseum, etc.). Doesn't it also rank in the top 70 arenas in the United States for total ticket sales or revenue, regardless of size?

As someone else mentioned on that same page, these accomplishments are despite the fact that we do not have a regular tenant. Considering the loss of the Grrrowl, Groove, and Rhinos, the arena has managed to do a pretty decent job. Plus, I think it's hard to have an arena in a mid-size metro area. The area is large enough to warrant consideration for big events, but not so large that those events are a given. There are enough people in the metro area to support things, but not so many people that attendance at those events is guaranteed. That's a tough sell, regardless of who is managing it.

With that said, I realize that the Bi-Lo Center isn't an amazing facility. It is fairly plain on the outside. The seats are an ugly color. There is rust. It could be cleaner. These things must be addressed. Why are there financial struggles, and how can we improve the arena? Is the problem management and organization, or simply a bad deal from the beginning? These issues will need to be addressed and resolved as Greenville moves forward. Because this is our arena, and will be for the foreseeable future.

I've been to many arenas and staduims around the country the inside of the bi-lo centers compares to most seats included but the ouside facade is totally bland and needed an upgrade from day one that i agree with

[whitehourseview]

Why are there financial struggles, and how can we improve the arena? Is the problem management and organization, or simply a bad deal from the beginning? These issues will need to be addressed and resolved as Greenville moves forward. Because this is our arena, and will be for the foreseeable future.

I'd think the issues start from the beginning. The community was stunned when Carl Scheer just about dropped in and ended the nearly dead coliseum debate with his arena plan, and the initial plan was favorable. The problem was from the beginning the arena depended on heavy, dependable revenue from sports and events and I don't that's happened, to pay and improve the facility.

It was a stunning deal for Greenville to finally get an arena, but the long term costs were hard to handle.

[GvilleSC]

Dreaming here...

Once the Gateway development is built, maybe the area will see a huge rise in interest from developers. The Bilo Center will the be able to sell off parcels of its land for highrises and midrises, mostly along Church Street. With restaurants and retail on the ground floors, the Bilo Center surroundings will be a hotspot for nightlife and entertainment and offer all that any event-goer could ask for.