CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The former Charleston Civic Center is getting renamed again, this time with its first-ever naming rights partner.
Previously renamed following a nearly $98 million renovation project in 2018 as the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, the facility will now become the Vandalia Health Center going forward. Vandalia Health officials joined Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin, city officials, and other local leaders to announce the partnership on Tuesday afternoon.
The agreement among the city of Charleston, the Oak View Group, and Vandalia Health is for 10 years. Vandalia will pay a little less than $1 million annually, along with options for multiple renewal periods in the years to follow.
Goodwin said the city is excited to take this step.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the city of Charleston, this amazing, amazing building, and an incredible partner in Vandalia,” Goodwin said. “To have this be the Vandalia Health Center is just really something that we have really hoped for and really worked for a really long period of time. So, it’s incredible for the city.”
Vandalia Health President and CEO Jeff Sandene was all smiles during the ceremony. This is the latest of many investment announcements that Vandalia Health has made in the region, breaking ground this summer on a new neuroscience institute and last week’s ceremony to begin a rehabilitation hospital in collaboration with Michigan-based Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. All told, Sandene said that almost $300 million in active projects are happening in the region.
Sandene said the newly named Vandalia Health Center will do wonders to elevate the Vandalia brand.
“We recruit nurses, physicians, clinicians from across multiple states,” Sandene said. “Their draw matches so evenly from us. The investment makes so much sense from recruitment, of people that are coming to town learning about Vandalia Health.”
Vandalia Health Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Pellegrin said from a marketing perspective, there are many possibilities with the former Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. She said that Vandalia will definitely get involved with healthcare events already happening in the region, along with those yet to come, to expand this partnership.
“We’re just really excited about the partnership. This lines up so well with the regions that we serve and that we recruit from. We recruit residents and physicians and clinicians and nurses from multiple states to serve in our 18 hospitals. So, this is just a great collaboration.”
Sandene noted that Vandalia has nearly 16,000 employees. He said that success has not happened by accident; it’s for a reason.
“To be the employer of choice, you have to create culture. And culture for folks coming to Charleston, they want to know that they have an employer that is supportive of each of the individuals they have. It’s not about the pay, it’s about where they work. We have an environment that folks want to come work for.”
Goodwin said that the facility has a rich history, one that will continue to be added to with this new chapter. She raved about Vandalia Health’s values and how they align with the former Coliseum and Convention Center. The mayor said that Vandalia is committed to investing in the Mountain State.
“Their footprint is ever expanding, not just here in the city of Charleston, but across the state of West Virginia,” Goodwin said. “An amazing reputation, an amazing workforce. They are growing, so it just made complete sense for us.”
Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center General Manager Patrick Leahy told MetroNews that this is a perfect marriage.
“The natural tie with Vandalia is they’re engaged in the community, so they’re tied to trying to make the community better,” Leahy said. “Well, we think we’re do the same in our programming. We try and provide something for everyone.”
Sandene said that Vandalia’s pledge to the facility falls right in line with the nearly $100 million used to modernize the former Civic Center eight years ago. He said it’s great that big artists have come to the facility, and Vandalia’s investment will allow that to keep happening well into the future.
“We’re making the same kind of investment that the city made to know that they’re going to get the bigger names when they made the investment,” Sandene said. “They’re going to get the bigger meetings here. They’re going to get the different venues that are going to come here. I think this is only the beginning of larger venues that they’ll have here in the Coliseum, going forward.”
Sandene said that the signage is going to go up “as soon as possible,” likely going on order next week. He said architectural designs and installations are estimated to take a couple months. The Oak View Group will continue to manage the venue.