Henrico County residents and other community members are invited to celebrate the opening of the Henrico Sports & Events Center with an event set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4.
The Community Celebration, organized by the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, is free and open to the public and will include remarks by county officials followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as games, music and giveaways for guests.
“We’re thrilled to open the doors to this beautiful new facility and show our community what we mean when we say we’re delivering ‘Showtime. All the Time!’” said Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority, which oversees the facility with operator ASM Global. “The Henrico Sports & Events Center is already boosting our economy with sports tourism, providing great opportunities for our local athletes and enhancing our quality of life by providing great entertainment for our entire community.”
The 185,000-square-foot Sports & Events Center began hosting tournaments and other events in late October. It features an arena that can accommodate up to 4,500 guests in retractable, tiered seating and floor seating as well as a flexible event space that can be configured for 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts simultaneously. On Monday, Dec. 11, it will present its first NCAA Division 1 basketball game, featuring the women’s teams from VCU and the University of Delaware. Tickets are available online. The facility also will accommodate high school graduations, concerts and other gatherings.
The $50 million center was built through a partnership between Henrico and Rebkee Co., which is redeveloping the former Virginia Center Commons mall property with housing, retail and other uses. The Sports & Events Center is located at 11000 Telegraph Road by Virginia Center Commons, just off interstates 95 and 295. With its opening, the facility is getting a more fitting street address: 1 All Star Boulevard.
