Updates discussed in a recent meeting about the Capital Sports Center project were published in a story by the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Capital Sports Center authority discusses alcohol license, timeline updates

By Ashley Perham, Charleston Gazette-Mail — December 14, 2024

The Capital Sports Center Development Authority is keeping its options open, when it comes to alcohol sales at the planned facility.

At a Friday afternoon meeting, members voted to have the design of the facility include the option for beer, wine and liquor sales, although they could choose not to sell alcohol at the facility.
Jim Arnold — of The Sports Facilities Companies, which is helping to design the Capital Sports Center — said the majority of venues his firm works with serve alcohol, but in a way that is easy to take it off the menu if there’s a youth event with organizers who don’t want alcohol. Staff members also are trained on how to serve, when to serve and how to address related issues.

He recommended that the CSCDA include alcohol sales, because it’s a big revenue source.

Alcohol is sold at Shawnee Sports Complex, through the on-site restaurant The Pitch, and also at Coonskin Park, Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango said.

“I certainly haven’t heard of any big problems that have been created by alcohol,” he said, adding that, for certain events, alcohol is not served.

Adam Krason, of ZMM Architects and Engineers, said his firm needed to know if it had to include equipment for draft or bottled beer in their kitchen designs.

Salango said it’s easier for the design to have the capabilities for selling alcohol than it is to have to go back in and retrofit a kitchen.

Timeline update
ZMM’s Chris Campbell gave an update on the timeline for the project. Construction should start at the end of May 2025, he said.

Initially, ZMM had predicted construction would start in March 2025. Krason told the Gazette-Mail the schedule was reset during a pause to make sure the project would be “fundable and constructible.” He said he doesn’t anticipate another schedule change.

Other funding opportunities
The city of Charleston is applying for federal grants and loans, including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant that would provide $11 million for the project. Matthew Sutton, Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin’s chief of staff, said that grant is a long shot, as more than 2,000 applicants are seeking the EPA funds.