Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, October 11, 1994                   TAG: 9410110129
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CIVIC CENTER HAD BIG YEAR

Between July 1, 1993, and June 30, more than 677,000 patrons spent $4.9 million on tickets to various Civic Center events, a 25 percent increase in attendance from the previous year and a 33 percent increase in revenue.

The annual report to council by Civic Center Commission Chairman Vernon Danielsen also linked the Civic Center to nearly $21.3 million in spending at local hotels, restaurants and merchants. That produced almost $1.5 million in tax revenue for city coffers, Danielsen said.

"Last year, by any measure that you choose to make, was a record year," he said.

The center earned about $1.6 million on the $4.9 million in ticket sales, but that still was not enough to cover operating expenses, which totaled $2.1 million. City taxpayers made up the $500,000 difference.

But Danielsen argued that still left the city "more than $1 million wealthier ... than if we were not there."

Councilman William White questioned those figures and asked Danielsen if the calculations had been reviewed by Finance Director James Grisso. The chairman replied they had not, but said they were based on attendance and industrywide averages.

The biggest single draw at the center last year was the Roanoke Express hockey team, whose 37 games accounted for 160,000 tickets worth $933,000. Sports overall produced $1.24 million in revenue.

Concerts by rock 'n' roll and country artists such as Aerosmith, Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels and ZZ Top added $1.2 million in ticket sales.

Other revenue producers were traveling theater troupes, which put on shows such as ``Les Miserables,'' ``Grease,'' ``Oklahoma'' and ``Man of La Mancha'' in the adjacent Civic Center Auditorium. Those shows and others accounted for $1.2 million.

Family shows, such as the Shrine Circus, the America Tour, and the James H. Drew Expo, brought more than 90,000 people to the center and added $460,000 to sales, Danielsen said.

In other action, council:

Voted 6 to 1 not to buy a performance bond guaranteeing completion of the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. The $120,000 bond would have protected the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority's $6 million loan to the hotel, but only up to the day it opened.

City Manager Bob Herbert said the risk the hotel won't be completed is small, and the cost of the insurance was about four times too high.

But Councilwoman Linda Wyatt said April is a long time off.

"I think it's a crapshoot, and it really concerns me. It's 60 percent done - well, there's another 40 percent that's not," she said.

Unanimously voted to abolish the Air Pollution Control Advisory and Appeal Board, which has not met since 1983.

Unanimously approved, on a preliminary vote, allowing police to issue tickets to parked cars that don't have personal property tax decals.

Unanimously agreed to sell 118 W. Campbell Ave. to New York photographer Michael Vest for $40,000, provided he can arrange financing.