Could people watch concerts and sporting events in Tacoma Power Dome at some point? Several city officials recently proposed having Tacoma Power, a division of Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU), purchase naming rights to the arena.
Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma and City Councilmember Jake Fey gave a presentation to the TPU Board during its Nov. 4 study session on the possibility of having Tacoma Power be the title sponsor, at a cost of about $375,000 per year.
Tacoma Dome Director Mike Combs also attended the meeting. Selling the naming rights of Tacoma Dome is something that has been pursued for some time, he noted.
Several years ago negotiations were underway with Comcast, an idea that generated some controversy in part because the private-sector cable television provider is a direct competitor to TPU’s Click! Network. Comcast made an offer, but withdrew it prior to it going to a vote before Tacoma City Council when several members voiced substantial concerns about the proposal.
Combs noted that Tacoma Power was approached previously about naming rights, around the same time as the discussions with Comcast.
In the past few years there have been inquiries from several companies interested in naming rights. That interest has fizzled out recently due to the downturn in the economy, Combs noted.
Regardless of whether Tacoma Power has a strong interest in naming rights, Combs wants to work more closely with the utility to save money on the Dome’s operating costs. “Our primary thing now is energy efficiency.”
Tacoma Power conducted an energy audit on the arena, which examined ways it could use modern technology to be more efficient. Combs noted the lighting system is aging and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems could use upgrades. Doing so could save a considerable amount of money on power bills. Any such improvements would likely also include the adjacent exhibition hall.
“We need to look at it all,” Combs said. “I think we will get back together on the energy audit they did.”
Commenting rules
Tacoma Weekly is happy to provide a forum for commenting and discussion. Please respect and abide by the house rules:
Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic, be responsible, share your knowledge, and please suggest removal of comments that violate these standards.
Read full commenting rules