A naming rights agreement is being sought for Syracuse’s War Memorial Arena, but officials intend to leave the War Memorial name intact.
Onondaga County is looking to land a corporate partnership for the arena, which opened in 1951 and is currently home to the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). Any naming rights deal would keep the War Memorial name intact, similar to what was done at another AHL facility, Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
The goal is to secure a corporate partner in time for the upcoming hockey season. While County deputy executive Bill Fisher did not specifically state what he believes the naming rights agreement will be worth, he noted the need to invest the naming rights proceeds into War Memorial Arena, which is in need of upgrades. More from Syracuse.com:
“It allows us to do more of our wish list (of improvements) than we could without that,” Fisher said.
He said the idea has been on the county’s radar for several years but more pressing War Memorial projects — such as installing new dasher boards and extending the ice surface — took precedence.
“We’ve tried to be strategic about spending money on what has to be done, and then getting to the wants in a strategic manner without breaking the bank,” Fisher said.
Fisher also stressed that veterans groups will be kept informed of the process.
