JOHNSTON, Iowa – Community Choice CU said yesterday it signed a ten-year, $2.5 million deal for naming rights to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
The sports and events venue, which is in the midst of a $42.8 million renovation, will be called “Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center” when it opens next month. The tag “Honoring Veterans Since 1955″ will be included in the new name. The building will also bear the name Veterans Memorial Hall.
The auditorium, which was one of the largest arenas and exhibit halls in the country when it opened on Feb. 1, 1955, was named to honor Polk County World War II veterans. It was the area’s primary venue for sporting events and concerts until construction of Wells Fargo Arena, the centerpiece of the $218 million Iowa Events Center complex, of which Veterans Auditorium is a part. The events center opened in 2005.
The entire building will be known as Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center but that the building will include a designated area for veterans, under the new deal.
The renovated Veterans auditorium is scheduled for completion on Jan. 3. The first event at the new facility — a bridal show — will be held on Jan. 7.
