Public venue, private operator: How Tony’s Pizza Events Center is funded

Tony’s Pizza Events Center operates under a public-private structure that combines city ownership with private management, supported in part by ongoing city funding.

The facility, located at 800 The Midway, is owned by the City of Salina and includes a multi-purpose arena and convention space used for concerts, sporting events, trade shows and community gatherings.

Day-to-day operations are handled by OVG360, a private venue management company. The arrangement traces back to 2012, when management of the former Bicentennial Center was transferred to a private operator. That structure has continued through industry changes, including the transition from Spectra Venue Management to Oak View Group’s OVG360.

How the funding works

City budget documents show the Tony’s Pizza Events Center is not operated as a fully self-supporting facility within city finances.

Instead, the city maintains a dedicated fund for the venue that is supported in part through transfers from the General Fund and other city sources. For 2026, the City of Salina budget lists approximately $880,000 in total funding for the venue, with expenditures categorized largely as contractual costs.

Those expenditures are tied to the city’s agreement with the private management company.

Earlier city budget explanations state that once operations were transferred to private management, revenues generated by the facility no longer flowed directly into the city’s fund. Instead, the city provides operating support while the private operator handles event booking, staffing, and day-to-day operations.

A long-standing venue with a new name

The building originally opened in 1979 as the Bicentennial Center and has undergone renovations over time. In 2017, the facility was renamed Tony’s Pizza Events Center through a long-term naming rights agreement with Tony’s Pizza and its parent company.

Today, the venue continues to serve as one of Salina’s primary sites for large events, drawing both local and regional audiences.

What’s still unclear

While city budgets outline how much is allocated to the facility each year, they do not provide a full breakdown of operating performance, including event-level profitability, revenue from ticket sales, concessions, or how those revenues are split between the city and the private operator.

Those details are typically contained in management agreements and annual operating reports, which are not included in summary budget documents.

What comes next

The structure raises a broader question that has come up in other communities with similar models: how public facilities balance economic activity, community use, and ongoing taxpayer support.

Salina311 will continue reviewing contracts, financial reports, and event data to better understand how the Tony’s Pizza Events Center operates and what return the city receives from its investment.