Missouri Arena Talks Shelved

A proposal for Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., to take over operations at the county’s 10,000-capacity Family Arena have reportedly fallen through because university officials can’t justify the cost at this time.

Lindenwood U. President Jim Evans told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch board members voted May 14 to table the discussions, which began earlier this year.

“It’s not a rejection of the concept,” Evans told the paper. “But the timing is not right. We have to fully utilize it to justify the cost.”

The arena has reportedly been losing money since it opened in 1999, and has only turned a profit in 2002 and 2005, the paper said.

Attempts to house minor-league teams such as the St. Louis Streamers indoor soccer team and National Indoor Football League team River City Rage didn’t work out, either.

County officials had hoped the university’s growing sports teams could use the arena, but university officials said the program isn’t that developed just yet.

Family Arena has Tool, Weird “Al” Yankovic, Goo Goo Dolls, Jeff Dunham and Kansas on the books though early October.