GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Tanger Center and Greensboro Coliseum will soon have new management.
Oakview Group will take the reins by this summer.
To get a better idea of its potential impact, we looked outside the Triad and spoke to the Durham Convention Center.
Oak View Group took over management at the Durham Convention Center in 2012. Joy Speight, the chair of the Durham Convention Center Authority said the growth has been 10-fold since the partnership.
City leaders are hoping they'll do the same in Greensboro.
Oakview Group claims to be the largest developer of sports and live entertainment venues in the world.
"Since they came on, we’ve seen quite a bit of growth working with Oakview Group," Speight said.
Speight said OVG is a true community partner.
"They go over and beyond. They reach out to the local universities and try to partner with them," speight said. "They work with organizations and foundations and a lot of nonprofits and engross themselves in the projects."
The Durham Convention Center is much smaller than the Greensboro Coliseum complex, that's made of 9 venues and the Tanger Center which hosts more than a million guests for touring productions.
They're the two facilities Greensboro leaders are looking to no longer manage.
It has some current coliseum employees like Crystal Burton concerned about what going private will mean for their livelihood.
"There is nothing easy about this for anyone of us from looking at retirement benefits, looking at insurance plans and annual and sick leave," Burton said. "We have a lot at stake and no one seems to acknowledge our concern.”
During last week's council meeting, leaders voted to award a contract to OGV--The next step in the company taking over management.
OVG said they welcome workers at both facilities to come and work for them.
If an employee declines, the assistant city manager Larry Davis said they will work with them.
"It is not a case of either you go with OVG or you are out. we will work with you for a year to find work and pay," Davis said.
Speight said they’ve seen no issues with OGV in Durham concerning employees.
"Oak View has done a great job leveraging the talent we have. Opening up opportunities to existing staff members," Speight said. "It's been encouraging to see the management care about the people in the convention center and working and making these events and clients happy."
She said for their city it's truly been a win-win.
"We did challenge them to drive more convention business into the facility. They have effectively changed the business mix of types of events to fulfill the mission," Speight said. "I would be remised to say we could accomplish this without Oakview."
Greensboro leaders said planning is already underway to make this is a seamless transition for employees and guests.
The city said hey hope to have a final contract ready by the end of March. From there employees will have until the first of July to decide if they want to work for OVG or find other employment through the city.