Dane County received only one response, from Madison concert promoter Frank Productions Concerts Live, to its request for proposal to renovate the Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center, according to a Dec. 13 article in the Wisconsin State Journal.
The office of Dane County Executive Melissa Agard declined to provide details about the bid proposal until the county has evaluated its viability. Bids were due on Nov. 21.
The county is planning to modernize the seating bowl, building systems and guest spaces at the 58-year-old event venue to attract more live events. The arena seats 10,320.
Frank Productions has held many live events at the venue, including entertainment legends such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen.
In recent years, the facility has become dated and deemed ill-equipped for touring artists, according to Kevin Scheibler, executive director of the Alliant Energy Center. The center’s campus includes the Coliseum.
The Coliseum is owned and operated by Dane County, and the county is looking for a partner that can help it compete with similarly sized venues in the region and turn a profit, while also continuing to accommodate major annual events like the World Dairy Expo and the Midwest Horse Fair.
An analysis by real estate consultant Hunden Partners, a destination real estate development consultant, said renovations could cost about $125 million.
Without renovations, by 2030, the venue is projected to lose over $1 million per year by 2030. With renovations, the facility would generate over $1 million in yearly profit, according to Hunden Partners.
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