Key Takeaways
- New 140,000-square-foot facility opens Saturday in Janesville with 20% private funding totaling $9.34 million
- Woodman’s Markets secured 20-year naming rights for $2M plus additional $1M donation to anchor private investment
- Sports Facilities Companies will operate venue with events already booked through 2026 season
- City projects $1.5M annual tax receipts while costing taxpayers approximately $39 per resident yearly
- Former Sears location transformed into multi-use complex serving 165,000-person metro area
Repurposing Retail Space for Sports Infrastructure
The Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center opens Saturday night in Janesville, Wisconsin, built on the site of a shuttered Sears store within the Uptown Janesville Mall. The $46.7 million project represents a growing trend of converting abandoned retail spaces into sports and entertainment venues.
The 140,000-square-foot complex features a 1,500-seat permanent ice arena, a 250-seat multipurpose arena, and a 25,800-square-foot conference center. The North American Hockey League’s Janesville Jets will inaugurate the facility Saturday, moving from their previous 1,000-seat venue that opened in 1974.
Private Sector Anchors One-Fifth of Project Funding
Private contributions totaled approximately $9.34 million, representing 20% of the project cost. Woodman’s Markets, a 128-year-old employee-owned grocery company based in Janesville, provided the largest commitment with $2 million for 20-year naming rights plus an additional $1 million donation.
Mercyhealth secured naming rights to the main arena for $1.5 million over 20 years. Additional private support included $1 million from an anonymous donor and $500,000 each from the Kennedy Family Foundation and Hendricks Family Foundation.
Corporate sponsorships extend to on-ice branding, with Mercyhealth claiming center ice positioning while Johnson Financial, Hyvee, Janesville Athletic Club, and Mac’s Pizza Shack sponsor the four face-off circles. Toyota and Layne’s Chicken Fingers sponsored the blue lines.
Operational Strategy and Early Bookings
Sports Facilities Companies will handle facility operations, including staffing, programming, event booking, and sponsorship sales. CEO Jason Clement reports multiple events already scheduled, including the EOI Civil War Nationals Youth Wrestling Event in November and the Wisconsin Royal Weekend Cheer & Dance Competition in March.
The booking calendar includes 10 conventions, eight tournaments, and more than 70 games across junior, women’s, men’s college, and high school sports during the 2025-26 season.
Financial Projections and Regional Context
City officials project the facility will generate approximately $1.5 million in annual tax receipts while costing taxpayers roughly $39 per resident annually. The Janesville-Beloit metropolitan area has a population of 165,000, according to recent U.S. Census data.
Construction was completed by J.P. Cullen & Sons, the Janesville-based firm that also built the Milwaukee Bucks’ training facility and handled the $77.6 million premium seating renovation at the University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium. The company contributed between $50,000 and $99,999 as a gold-level facility sponsor.
The Jets averaged 602 fans per game last season at their previous facility, establishing a baseline for attendance projections at the larger venue.
Strategic Implications for Small-Market Development
The Janesville project demonstrates how mid-sized communities can leverage local corporate partnerships to partially offset public investment in sports infrastructure. The 20% private funding ratio and diverse sponsor base provide a replicable model for similar markets seeking to develop multi-use facilities.
The retail-to-sports conversion also reflects broader real estate trends as communities repurpose abandoned commercial spaces for public recreation and entertainment uses.
via: SBJ
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