L.C. Walker Arena, home of hockey’s Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL), will be renamed Mercy Health Arena. This announcement comes as Mercy Health signs a letter of intent with the City of Muskegon to become the venue’s naming-rights partner.
The arena name will be changed to Mercy Health Arena by the end of the year, with updated signage coming in January 2020. This fifteen-year commitment will cover the renaming and rebranding of the facility and ensure the sustainability of the arena for the future.
The L.C. Walker Arena was named after the late Louis Carlisle Walker, a leading Muskegon industrialist at the turn of the 20th century, and a major contributor to the $1.5 million arena in 1960. Today, the arena is a major destination for sports and entertainment in the West Michigan community. Every year, 100,000 people attend this arena’s more than 50 sporting events, concerts and other special events.
“The L.C. Walker Arena has long been a great asset to our downtown,” said Frank Peterson, city manager of Muskegon. “I’m excited that Mr. Walker’s vision, creating a vibrant year-round downtown, lives on today. His gift to our community and our new partnership with Mercy Health will help ensure that this community asset is here for generations to come.”
Over the past four years, the City of Muskegon has invested more than $4 million in the arena to upgrade concession areas and restrooms, replace the roof and replace the facility’s boiler and dehumidification systems. Mercy Health’s sponsorship will keep the momentum going and sustain the improvements that have already been made.
“Mercy Health is committed to caring for our community. It is vital to Mercy Health’s long-term strategy that the revitalization of downtown Muskegon continues,” said Gary Allore, president, Mercy Health Muskegon. “The arena is home to so many events that are important to our community. This is an opportunity for us to continue investing in a community we care deeply about, a place where our patients and our colleagues come and enjoy many offerings from this arena.”
Image courtesy Mercy Health.
