At the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, there’s nothing we take pride in more than being able to truly be “The Center of it All.” It’s a title we feel is well deserved. For thirty four years, we’ve been bringing the most exciting concerts, plays, sporting games, conventions, and cultural events to the heart of the Midwest. From entertainers like Elton John and Taylor Swift, to world-renowned bull riders and commanding hockey champions, the biggest and the best have shared their talents in our facilities.

And while providing entertainment and education services to a five state region is our number one priority, it also comes with a hefty price tag. In order to offer a superior experience to those who visit the Civic Center, we continually strive to maintain state of the art facilities.

In 2008, we added the 5,100 seat Ice Arena, home to the 2010 President’s Cup Champions – the  Rapid City RUSH. While the Ice Arena was built with City funding, the empty structure, of course, had to be filled. In order to do so, large sums of our own funds were used, and like any other major undertaking, necessary costs quickly accumulate. There are equipment costs. For instance, the glass system around the rink and dasher boards cost $216,000. Our Zambonis cost $140,000, and electrical installation and paint equipment cost $162,000. Ice Decking was purchased to cover the ice during sporting events or concerts. This cost $120,000. Basketball courts cost $125,000. Chairs, staging, tables, trash cans, radios, carpet, hand dryers and other items may seem like minor expenditures, but together they amounted to over $223,000.  Overall, Ice Arena equipment cost the Civic Center $2.1 million. Then there are expenses such as the replay screens and televisions. Those items cost another $2 million.

In total, $4.1 million of Civic Center money was used to complete the addition of the Ice Arena.

Hosting a semi-professional hockey team is not cheap by any standards, but we feel it is well worth the cost to provide quality entertainment for people of all ages and interests.

And the Ice Arena is not the only area of the Civic Center that has seen drastic changes over the last two and a half years. Our Fine Arts Theatre recently underwent a $1.7 million renovation in which the lobby, auditorium, and backstage areas were remodeled to give them an updated look and feel. What’s more, we recently made vast improvements to our parking and security systems. Additional parking was added along New York Street, as well as security gates and a security camera system. These features were implemented to provide enhanced comfort and safety measures for our visitors, at the cost of $1.7 million. In addition, LaCroix Hall will be undergoing a $1 million renovation this summer, and $700,000 was recently spent on new roofing.

 It takes not only a highly dedicated team of employees to keep our facilities running in top condition, but also substantial investments of our own capital. We are glad to make these contributions in order to provide a five state region with state of the art facilities, and we look forward to making even more improvements in the near future. It takes a lot to be the “Center of it All,” but it’s a job we wouldn’t trade for the world.

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