FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee met Tuesday afternoon to receive a status update on the project to construct a new multipurpose event center to replace the existing Crown Theatre and Arena.

The purpose of the meeting was for the Committee to review the process and schedule identified by County staff and MBP Carolinas, the owner’s representative for the project, for the selection of an architect, and to set dates for their next two meetings in order to keep the project on schedule. The current theatre and arena will close in November 2025, which is the deadline for the Crown Event Center to open.

Matt Desilver, senior project manager with MBP, said the request for qualifications (RFQ) for an architect was issued on September 12. The deadline for RFQ responses is October 11 at 3 p.m. Desilver said a committee made up of County staff will review and evaluate the responses, and will conduct in-person interviews with shortlisted firms on November 8. The staff committee will present a ranking of firms to the Crown Event Center Committee on November 16, and the Committee will make a final recommendation to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for consideration at their November 21 meeting.

As part of the schedule discussion, the Committee agreed to hold meetings on November 1 and November 16 at 1 p.m.

Desilver also provided an update on the informational session MBP held on September 8 for local architects, engineers and contractors to encourage local participation and connect them with regional and national firms that are interested in the project. He said more than 70 individuals registered for the event, which included national, regional and local representation, as well as a representative from the North Carolina Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB). The RSVP list has also been posted to the Crown Event Center Committee page on the County website to facilitate additional connections with interested firms.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Commissioners Jeannette Council (who serves as chair), Jimmy Keefe, and Board Chairman Glenn Adams. For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/commissioners-group/commissioners/crown-event-center-committee.