Chris Janson held a performance at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds in October 2021. It was one of two concerts produced by EventMakers-USA at the fairgrounds. (Photos courtesy of Chesterfield County)
Just months after getting the green light for a test-run of concerts at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, EventMakers-USA is seeking a new venue in the county.
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors is slated in early March to consider an amendment to a license agreement with the After Hours Concerts series promoter that would allow it to step away from its current venue at the fairgrounds in favor of the River City Sportsplex.
The company, known as the longtime promoter of the former Innsbrook After Hours concert series and the newer After Hours series at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, put on two shows at the fairgrounds. That two-show run was a way for the company and the county to test interest for a potential full slate of summer concerts in 2022.
The new agreement would allow the company to run concerts at the Sportsplex through December 2022, which is the same endpoint for the current agreement.
It would give EventMakers about 221,000 square feet for its venue space at the Sportsplex at 13030 Genito Road. It has access to a 670,000-square-foot portion of the fairgrounds under the existing agreement.
The company would pay $7,250 per event as a license fee, in addition to $1 per ticket sold to the county under the proposed amendment. It paid $2,500 per event and $1.50 per ticket sold for shows at the fairground.
EventMakers will continue to cover the cost of security and be able to sell alcohol at its concerts.
EventMakers head Larry Creeger declined to comment for this story. It’s unclear how many concerts the company has planned for the new venue.
Supervisors are set to hold a public hearing and a board vote on the amended agreement at its March 9 meeting.
Chesterfield officials want to diversify the recreational offerings at sports venue River City Sportsplex with concerts through a partnership with EventMakers-USA.
Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Marlaine Creasey-Smith said the county sees the concert series as a means to further diversify the offerings at the Sportsplex, which is a venue for sports tournaments.
“These events taking place at our premier sports venue location begin to implement that process where we’re expanding our reach beyond sports tourism specifically,” she said, adding that the county has been pleased with the partnership with EventMakers thus far.
The Sportsplex is now in the early stages of implementing a $48 million master plan for new facilities and amenities.
The first phase of that plan is expected to include four new game fields, which would bring the facility to 16 fields. The parks and recreation department wants the fields will be funded in the county’s upcoming budget.
Stuart Connock of the parks department said a construction timeline is unclear at this point and depends in part on whether funding is allocated to the project. He said that ideally the new fields would be built in five years and the entire master plan completed in a decade.
Phase one is expected to also include some amenities like sun shelters and parking.
Phase two would include a 3,500-seat outdoor stadium alongside recreational amenities like a picnic area and 5k trail. Initial design and cost estimate work for the stadium is underway, Connock said.
‘We’re taking it from a pretty picture in the master plan and fleshing it out more for the real world,” he said of the proposed stadium.
County staff is still working on a land-use plan for the area around the Sportsplex, which includes the Southside Speedway site that the county acquired last year for $5 million.
Chris Janson held a performance at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds in October 2021. It was one of two concerts produced by EventMakers-USA at the fairgrounds. (Photos courtesy of Chesterfield County)
Just months after getting the green light for a test-run of concerts at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, EventMakers-USA is seeking a new venue in the county.
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors is slated in early March to consider an amendment to a license agreement with the After Hours Concerts series promoter that would allow it to step away from its current venue at the fairgrounds in favor of the River City Sportsplex.
The company, known as the longtime promoter of the former Innsbrook After Hours concert series and the newer After Hours series at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, put on two shows at the fairgrounds. That two-show run was a way for the company and the county to test interest for a potential full slate of summer concerts in 2022.
The new agreement would allow the company to run concerts at the Sportsplex through December 2022, which is the same endpoint for the current agreement.
It would give EventMakers about 221,000 square feet for its venue space at the Sportsplex at 13030 Genito Road. It has access to a 670,000-square-foot portion of the fairgrounds under the existing agreement.
The company would pay $7,250 per event as a license fee, in addition to $1 per ticket sold to the county under the proposed amendment. It paid $2,500 per event and $1.50 per ticket sold for shows at the fairground.
EventMakers will continue to cover the cost of security and be able to sell alcohol at its concerts.
EventMakers head Larry Creeger declined to comment for this story. It’s unclear how many concerts the company has planned for the new venue.
Supervisors are set to hold a public hearing and a board vote on the amended agreement at its March 9 meeting.
Chesterfield officials want to diversify the recreational offerings at sports venue River City Sportsplex with concerts through a partnership with EventMakers-USA.
Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Marlaine Creasey-Smith said the county sees the concert series as a means to further diversify the offerings at the Sportsplex, which is a venue for sports tournaments.
“These events taking place at our premier sports venue location begin to implement that process where we’re expanding our reach beyond sports tourism specifically,” she said, adding that the county has been pleased with the partnership with EventMakers thus far.
The Sportsplex is now in the early stages of implementing a $48 million master plan for new facilities and amenities.
The first phase of that plan is expected to include four new game fields, which would bring the facility to 16 fields. The parks and recreation department wants the fields will be funded in the county’s upcoming budget.
Stuart Connock of the parks department said a construction timeline is unclear at this point and depends in part on whether funding is allocated to the project. He said that ideally the new fields would be built in five years and the entire master plan completed in a decade.
Phase one is expected to also include some amenities like sun shelters and parking.
Phase two would include a 3,500-seat outdoor stadium alongside recreational amenities like a picnic area and 5k trail. Initial design and cost estimate work for the stadium is underway, Connock said.
‘We’re taking it from a pretty picture in the master plan and fleshing it out more for the real world,” he said of the proposed stadium.
County staff is still working on a land-use plan for the area around the Sportsplex, which includes the Southside Speedway site that the county acquired last year for $5 million.