Five private entities want to take over management of the Redding Civic Auditorium, a venue that has languished in recent years. City staff are now reviewing and ranking those proposals, with one to three finalists potentially heading to the Redding City Council next month for a final call.
Mayor Mike Littau disclosed the five proposals during Tuesday's State of the City address, according to kqms.com. The announcement caps a search that began after Advance Redding, which had run the facility for more than 14 years, ended its management role. The city is reviewing each proposal before possible council consideration.
City Says It Lacks the Capacity to Run the Venue Itself
Redding has been clear about why it wants an outside operator: it simply does not have the capacity to run the venue, according to a report from krcrtv.com. The city is searching for a new operator to handle booking and day-to-day operations, and it directly solicited more than 20 firms for groups interested in leasing, programming, and operating the auditorium, per a separate account from yahoo.com. Proposals were due September 10, and city staff are now rating them ahead of a possible council decision in October, that same report notes.
Among the applicants named in the city's letter were North State Venue Management, NewCo, and a proposal from Jeremy Edwardson and Tim Taber, according to the same account. Edwardson is a Redding-based producer, engineer, mixer, and songwriter who founded The Soundhouse recording studio, the outlet reports. Beverly Hills-based Gate 52, formerly known as SaveLive, also submitted a proposal and operates 11 sites across California, per the same source. Littau said the applicants brought a wide variety of concert experience, including one applicant that has produced concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the report states.
Recent Activity at the Auditorium
The venue's last event under Advance Redding was the July 4 Freedom Festival.
The Redding Fly Fishing Festival, also known as FlyFest, was scheduled to run from Sept. 24 through 26, the station reported.
A Years-Long Financial Unraveling
The Civic's operator search follows a rocky stretch for the venue. Advance Redding's financial troubles deepened after Bethel Church stopped renting space at the Civic in late 2023, a blow compounded by lingering pandemic effects and volatility in the ticket industry, according to shastascout.org. When Advance Redding announced it would no longer manage the building, with control transferring to the city, the Redding City Council declined to authorize up to $400,000 in transition funding and instead voted unanimously to issue a request for proposals for a new operator, that report states.
The auditorium has also needed basic upkeep just to stay functional. Redding officials said basic maintenance and security are needed for the aging facility, according to a report from redding.com. Yahoo's account described the venue as having languished in recent years amid the leadership uncertainty.
A Long Road Back to a Full Calendar
Even once a new operator is chosen, patience will be required. Large concerts could take months to return after an operator is selected, and building out a fully booked calendar could take one or two years, according to krcrtv's earlier report on the search. Per Mayor Littau, a new operator will also need to address a $5 million heating and air-conditioning system overhaul at the facility, Action News Now reported.
For now, the fate of the Civic Auditorium rests with city staff sorting through the five proposals. If one to three finalists advance as expected, the Redding City Council could take up the matter as soon as October, setting the stage for the venue's next chapter after more than a year of uncertainty.
