By WMBD TV
PEORIA – For the first time in its 40-plus year history, the Peoria Civic Center’s theater will be called something other than just a theater.
The Civic Center Authority said they will unveil the name of the roughly 2,000-seat theater during a press conference Friday morning in the theater’s lobby.
No other details were disclosed including how much the naming partner was paying for the naming rights or how long the name would be in use.
City Councilman Tim Riggenbach, who is the council’s liaison to the authority, said the quasi-governmental board of trustees that is over the authority first began the process a few years ago.
In 2023, the authority put out an RFP or a request for a proposal for naming rights to the building itself. Back then, the authority said interested sponsor could the rights for up to 10 years and be able to place identifying signage inside and outside the civic center.
At the time, the civic center was asking a minimum of $500,000 a year to the Civic Center. That, however, was for the building, not just the theater, according to the documents.
The Peoria Civic Center first open in 1982 and for years as been known simply as that. The arena where the Peoria Rivermen and the Bradley Braves play is known as Carver Arena, named for the former mayor, Richard Carver, who was instrumental in getting the facility built.
Some naming rights have been sold over the years. The box office is known as the Toyota Box Office while a reception room above the main lobby is known as the Lexus Club.
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