On May 10, 2022, Johnson Consulting presented their final findings of the Event Venue Feasibility Study. Examining the feasibility of building and operating a large event venue and/or sports complex in Tuscaloosa has been a task of the Elevate Advisory Council since Elevate was passed in 2019.

Prior to COVID-19, the Advisory Council selected Johnson Consulting, a national firm that performs strategic planning, market, and financial feasibility studies for large scale projects, to investigate the demand for such a space in Tuscaloosa and determine the feasibility of construction and operation.

Johnson recently presented their final report and recommendations to the Advisory Council. Below is an overview of their findings:

• Tuscaloosa would not benefit from building and operating a large sports complex, due to the saturation of the market for sports complexes in the area. Instead, Johnson recommends continuing to improve and add to our existing sports facilities such as Sokol and Bowers Parks.
• Tuscaloosa would benefit from a large event venue with a flexible, multipurpose hall of 20,000 to 40,000 square feet.
• In addition to the multi-purpose hall, this event venue would need supporting spaces, breakout rooms, and pre-function space as well as a self-contained kitchen and equipment to host banquets and other food and beverage events.
• The site analysis revealed that the best location for this potential event venue would be on the site of the future Saban Center due to its size, proximity to downtown and the riverfront, walkability, and the density of hotels in the area.

To read the full feasibility study, click here and expand Cultural Arts and Tourism.