The city of Henderson and Deaconess Henderson Hospital have come to a naming rights agreement to call the new athletic complex currently being built “Deaconess Henderson Sports Park.”
As part of the deal, the hospital will pay the city $100,000 annually for each of the next five years, for a total of $500,000, according to city documents. After the initial five-year period is over, the hospital can renew the naming deal for three more years for an additional $165,505, which would come in payments spread out over the three-year period, the city memo says.
Set forth in the agreement, signage including the name will be ubiquitous, placed on the entrance sign, directional signage within the park, signs adjacent to concession buildings and on all scoreboards in the complex located on Airline Road.
Additionally, the title will be on printed materials used to promote the park, ongoing marketing which includes the electronic message signs at the sports park, in media coverage and spoken during public address announcements at the complex, according to the agreement.
The athletic complex has a price tag of $18.62 million; $15.5 million of that is being funded by bonding measures.
To make up the rest, the city set out to secure the naming rights, among other efforts. The Henderson County Fiscal Court has pledged $1.05 million to pay for lighting.
Additionally, City Manager Buzzy Newman said other naming rights for four baseball fields, three multipurpose fields, a concession stand and parking lots have also been agreed upon with several other entities. Those efforts, headed by former Mayor Steve Austin, total close to $500,000, Newman said.
The city has also secured $200,000 in a Land and Water Conservation Fund federal grant.
According to a city document, that leaves a current balance of $874,515 the city will need to pay to fund the complex. Newman said the city commission most likely will use the general fund reserves, which stand at about $19 million, to pay that off.