Arena Musings In Maine

Officials in Bangor, Maine, are weighing the city’s options regarding a recent proposal for a $51 million arena project.

City councilors have toyed with the idea of replacing the existing 5,400-capacity Bangor Auditorium & Civic Center for years, but now a team of consultants has suggested keeping the facility and building a new venue nearby, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Chicago-based ERA/AECOM’s recommendations include building a 5,000-seat facility adjacent to the auditorium as well as updating the existing venue for an additional $18 million, the paper reported.

However, it is unclear how the city plans to fund the project if approved.

Bangor’s finance director told the paper the city currently holds about $5.6 million in revenue collected from the Hollywood Slots racino. Other funding ideas that have been floated include suite revenues and contracting with an anchor tenant.

An arena committee is set to meet in early September.