A legendary Fort Worth arena will be getting a facelift. The Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum will undergo an $8.5 million renovation.
"That would include the concourse, the restrooms, the lobby, and what we call the Backstage Club, which is a separate room that overlooks the coliseum floor," Fort Worth public events director Mike Crum said.
The project does not include the seating bowl.
"The renovation of the coliseum seating bowl would be a future project for us," Crum said.
The Fort Worth City Council gave its final approval for the money, which comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Recovery funds, on Tuesday evening.
Crum said it solidifies the city's commitment to the 86-year-old building, even with the opening of Dickies Arena.
"Dickies Arena and the Will Rogers Memorial (Coliseum) are a dynamic duo when it comes to hosting the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo," Crum said. "And will continue to partner on hosting other types of major events in the future."
More than 30 equestrian events are held at the coliseum annually for an average of 260 event days.
The combined economic impact of those shows in 2021 was $74.2 million.
With the final approval, work can now begin in earnest.
"We will start looking for an architect to design the renovation work and hopefully be able to start that work towards the end of this year, perhaps into the beginning of next year," Crum said.
Specifically, the renovation will include new flooring, ceiling tiles, energy-efficient lighting, water-saving restroom fixtures, wayfinding signage and decorative upgrades.
Once the renovation work begins, it will take about a year to complete.
The coliseum will remain open during the renovation.
"We'll close portions of the concourse as we work our way through the renovation process," says Crum.
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