This week City Council approved a naming rights agreement for Kingston’s premier downtown arena and entertainment centre. As of July 1st, the Rogers K-Rock Centre will become the Leon’s Centre. The name change will take some getting used to, but it was fantastic to see a lot of interest from businesses looking to attach their name to this facility, and congratulations to Leon’s for putting forward the winning offer!
Under this new agreement, Leon’s will pay an average of $265,000 per year over the next five years to have their name on the facility, with an option to extend for an additional five years after that. This is a substantial increase over the current naming rights fee, which will provide a great boost to the annual bottom line for the arena.
A few months ago we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Rogers K-Rock Centre, and what an amazing ten years it’s been. There have been so many great shows, hockey games and sporting events over the years, and the facility continues to win awards and is a real showcase for Kingston. There’s no doubt that this facility has been a catalyst for tourism, development and a vibrant downtown. Years ago I remember following the big debate about the centre which was then known as the Large Venue Entertainment Centre (LVEC), and how fortunate for our city that former Mayor Harvey Rosen and the City Council of the day made the project a reality. Now it’s hard to imagine Kingston without it. Congratulations to the Rogers K-Rock Centre on a great 10 years! I look forward to attending many more events at the Leon’s Centre in the future!