SSM Health Care will pay $8.75 million over 25 years as part of a sponsorship package that will put its name on a new arena in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, Mo.
The arena will be called the SSM Health Care Arena, under a partnership agreement outlined in a letter of intent between SSM and Family Arena Management Enterprise, a group of private investors that will manage the center.
Kevin Kast, president of SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, said the agreement calls for SSM to pay $350,000 annually for 25 years.
The sponsorship package includes naming rights, advertising and signage.
Craig Liston, the arena's general manager, said the arena management group talked to several other potential sponsors in the health care, financial services, airline and telecommunications industries. He declined to name specific companies, but sources have said BJC Health System, MasterCard International Inc., MCI WorldCom Inc. and Ford Motor Co. were among those interested in sponsorship packages.
Frank Trulaske, managing partner for the arena management group, said it chose SSM because of its continuing commitment to the region. SSM controls nearly 60 percent of the hospital beds in St. Charles County, according to figures from the Missouri Center for Health Statistics.
The $32 million arena is a joint venture between the management group and the city of St. Charles and St. Charles County. A grand opening is set for Oct. 1.
Arena tenants will include the St. Louis Swarm of the International Basketball League, the Missouri River Otters of the United Hockey League and an as-yet-unnamed team in the World Indoor Soccer League.
Margie Manning writes for the St. Louis Business Journal.
