City near new Star Center management contract

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Rio Rancho's city council is expected to approve city manager James Jimenez course of negotiatins with a division of Comcast Cable to manage the financially-troubled Santa Ana Star Center.

Mayor Tom Swisstack confirmed Saturday that the city has been in negotiations with Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Comcast Cable.

"It's a real shot in the arm," Swisstack said.

The council will not approve an actual contract at this point, Swisstack said, but simply offer its support of the selection of Global Spectrum. T

Global Spectrum manages venues throughout the country, including the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Ga., and the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia.

It is not affiliated with Global Entertainment, the Arizona-based company that has operated the Star Center since it opened in 2006.

Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum manages 32 arenas in 12 states, Canada, Singapore and Croatia. The total seating capacity of those areanas is 290,631, including 14 that have a capacity of 10,000 or more. One Central Hockey League team -- the Colorado Eagles -- plays in a Global Spectrum-managed facility.

The company already has  presence in New Mexico as manager of the Clovis Civic Center, one of 25 such facilities it manages in the United States. It also manages nine stadiums, five skating facilities, seven performing arts centers/theatres; two entertainment/retail disticts, a winery in Saratoga, Calif., and teh Nueces County Equestrian Center in Corpus Christi.

Global Spectrum’s parent company, Comcast-Spectacor, is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm which owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum and Comcast SportsNet, the 24-hour regional sports programming TV network. Comcast-Spectacor also owns Ovations Food Services, New Era Tickets and Front Row Marketing Services.

Comcast-Spectacor, in partnership with Disson Skating, annually produces 10 nationally-televised figure skating shows on NBC.

Jimenez said Global Spectrum could take over managment of the 6,500-seat Star Center by April 1. Part of the contract guarantees current workers  will get an inverview with the new company.

Global Spectrum began operations in 1994 as Globe Facility Services, of Tampa, FL.  In January 2000, a majority interest in Globe Facility Services was acquired by Comcast-Spectacor.