Grossinger Motors Arena

Bloomington Looks To Accelerate Cannabis Task Force

By Eric Stock • Sep 16, 2019

Lynn Cannon speaking at Bloomington City Council — Eric Stock / WGLT

Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner told city council members on Monday he plans to have a list of members he’s seeking to appoint to a cannabis task force for approval next week.

Arena Losses Shrink Ahead Of Reworked Contract Kicking In

By Ryan Denham • Jul 16, 2019

Grossinger Motors Arena at night — Carleigh Gray / WGLT

Operating losses at the city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena were not as bad as expected for the fiscal year that ended on April 30.

Central Illinois Figure Skating Spins Up To Annual Show

By Charlie Schlenker • Apr 26, 2019

Spring is here. Flowers are blooming. Trees are budding. And ice skating is peaking.

Wait, what? Ice Skating? The Central Illinois Figure Skating Club is performing its annual celebration Saturday evening at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

It's the seventh year for the annual show and the figure skating community has grown by leaps and bounds. Lena Chaudhury from the club said they now have 72 skaters, as young as three on up to people in their 60s.

Bloomington Passes New VenuWorks, Labor Contracts

By Breanna Grow • Apr 22, 2019

Kim Bray and Tim Gleason — Breanna Grow / WGLT

The Bloomington City Council unanimously approved a contract with AFSCME Local 699 effectively ending the city’s sick-leave buyback program for employees.

Bloomington To Rework Arena Deal; Shift Some Financial Risk

By Eric Stock • Apr 18, 2019

Bloomington aldermen Monday will consider a revised contract with the firm that runs Grossinger Motors Arena.

No Easy Arena Fixes, Even If Bloomington Replaces VenuWorks

By Ryan Denham • Mar 4, 2019

Wide shot of the arena floor — Amy Niebur / WGLT

Over the next month, Bloomington city leaders will decide whether to keep or fire the company that runs Grossinger Motors Arena. It won’t be an easy decision.

Photos: Bacon And Beer Festival Returns To Arena

By Amy Niebur • Mar 3, 2019

A big crowd turned out Saturday for the second year of the Bacon and Beer Festival at Grossinger Motors Arena.

Hockey Team Won't Return Next Season To Bloomington Arena

By Ryan Denham • Feb 28, 2019

Hockey players on ice — Central Illinois Flying Aces / Facebook

The Central Illinois Flying Aces won’t be returning next season to Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, the junior hockey team announced Thursday.

U-High Joins Esports Craze As Tourney Comes to Bloomington

By Eric Stock • Jan 9, 2019

Zack Gilbert has been a video game fanatic as long as he can remember.

Grossinger Motors Arena To Host ESports Tournament In January

By Ryan Denham • Oct 3, 2018

Fingers on a keyboard — M. Spencer Green / AP

Bloomington-Normal is accustomed to hosting big softball, volleyball, and basketball tournaments. It can now add esports to the list.

Relocation Possible For Bloomington Arena's Football Team

By Ryan Denham • Sep 25, 2018

Fans at the arena — Carleigh Gray / WGLT

Grossinger Motors Arena could be losing its indoor football team.

VenuWorks Reports Arena Losses, Economic Impact; Aldermen Weigh In On Eminent Domain

By Breanna Grow • Sep 18, 2018

Lynn Cannon speaks to aldermen — Breanna Grow / WGLT

The city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena will likely never turn a profit, according to arena manager VenuWorks.

Grossinger Motors Arena Seeks New Basketball Team After Hiatus

By Eric Stock • Jul 31, 2018

It’s been three years since Grossinger Motors Arena hosted basketball but that could be about to change.

Bloomington OKs New Arena Elevator; Welcomes New City Manager

By Eric Stock • Jul 23, 2018

Cherry Lawson and Tim Gleason — Eric Stock / WGLT

Bloomington aldermen on Monday approved spending $610,000 to install a new elevator at Grossinger Motors Arena on a 5-3 vote.

Grossinger Motors Arena Needs New Elevator For ADA Compliance

By Eric Stock • Jul 21, 2018

Grossinger Motors Arena needs a new elevator to comply with federal disability guidelines.

Arena's Loss Tops $667K As VenuWorks Enters 3rd Year At Helm

By Ryan Denham • May 31, 2018

The city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena lost $667,349 in the past year, its managers said Thursday, even as they touted the venue’s economic impact from tourism.

Bloomington Arena Loses Indoor Football Games This Spring

By Ryan Denham • Feb 22, 2018

An ongoing legal dispute will stop Bloomington’s indoor football team from playing its scheduled home games this spring at Grossinger Motors Arena, putting thousands of dollars at risk for the city-owned venue.

Photos: Guns And Hoses Charity Hockey Game

By Carleigh Gray • Feb 12, 2018

Police Officers and Fire Fighters face-off while playing the benefit hockey game — Carleigh Gray / WGLT

Normally, police officers and firefighters work side by side to help keep the community safe. But on Saturday, "Guns" and "Hoses" competed against each other for a good cause.

Mayor Renner Hoping For More From VenuWorks

By Mike McCurdy & Charlie Schlenker • Dec 19, 2017

The mayor of Bloomington said Tuesday he's not satisfied with progress made by VenuWorks in improving operations at Grossinger Motors Arena.

Lawsuit: City Owes Indicted Coliseum Managers For Unpaid Commissions

By Ryan Denham • Nov 21, 2017

John Butler in court — David Proeber / The Pantagraph (Pool)

The former manager of the U.S. Cellular Coliseum who’s accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Bloomington taxpayers has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that he’s owed $67,175 in unpaid commissions.

Aldermen Nix VenuWorks As BCPA Managers; Library Tax Levy To Rise

By Student Reporter Baylee Steelman, Ryan Denham & Student Reporter Dania De La Hoya • Nov 14, 2017

The Bloomington City Council will not allow VenuWorks to manage the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

New Arena Bookings Set After Choppy Start for VenuWorks

By Ryan Denham • Oct 30, 2017

It was two steps forward but one step back for the city of Bloomington’s downtown arena last week.

Lost Hockey Games Mean Lost Money For City's Arena

By Ryan Denham • Oct 26, 2017

This fall’s cancellation of five hockey games at Grossinger Motors Arena—caused by a long-delayed repair project—will cost the city-owned venue thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

New Audits Reveal Red Flags On Coliseum Oversight

By Ryan Denham • Oct 12, 2017

Newly released audits for the former U.S. Cellular Coliseum show the city was warned eight years ago that its finance department wasn’t providing adequate oversight over the arena’s records, due in part to staffing shortages.

Blame The Auditors? Coliseum Fraud Case Isn’t Clear Cut

By Ryan Denham • Oct 6, 2017

(b) The City shall have the right at any lime, and from lime to time, to cause recognized independent auditors to audit all of the books of CIA relating to Revenues and Operating Expenses, including, without limitation, bank books, sales slips, cash regis — Staff / WGLT

There’s been a lot of finger-pointing since prosecutors announced that five former managers at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum were facing 111 criminal counts of theft, fraud, and money laundering.

How A Coliseum Blind Spot Tripped Up Bloomington City Leaders

By Ryan Denham • Oct 4, 2017

ohn Butler, Jay Laesch, Kelly Klein, Bart Rogers, and Paul Grazar in court — David Proeber / The Pantagraph (Pool)

The alleged fraud scheme at the former U.S. Cellular Coliseum took advantage of a known blind spot in the City of Bloomington’s oversight of arena finances, exploiting a decade-long contract that many city leaders disliked from the very beginning, GLT has learned.