ROANOKE, Virginia (CelebrityAccess) — In a near unanimous vote, the Roanoke City Council moved to award naming rights for the city-owned Roanoke Civic Center to the Berglund Automotive Group, a car dealer chain with 10 locations.
The facility will be called the Berglund Center, effective in October.
According to the Roanoke Times, Berglund, owned by the Farrell family, bid $1.75 million for a ten-year deal. Also included with the sponsorship agreement will be a car per year to be used for promotional purposes at the venue. Berglund's bid beat out a bid from rival dealership Haley Toyota, which submitted a bid of $1.55 million.
Roanoke's city manager Chris Morrill suggested that recent financial improvements at the venue, following the takeover by venue management firm Global Spectrum, may have made the sponsorship deal possible.
Berglund President William Farrell told the council he considers, “the utmost privilege to have our company’s name on an iconic part of the Roanoke landscape.” – Staff Writers
