New Idaho Falls event center now $500,000 closer to financing needs - East Idaho News

IDAHO FALLS — The long-awaited Mountain America Center received significant financial support from a local company on Tuesday.

Teton Auto Group donated $500,000 to the Falls Auditorium District, Idaho, which has planned and raised funds to build a large auditorium for most of the past decade. Earlier this year, the Auditorium Board determined that they would need 2.5 million US dollars before the project started work. This contribution is an important step towards this goal.

Mario Hernandez, president of Teton Automotive Group, said: "We have been following this project for some time and trying to find a way to participate." "Through the hard work of people, we Can make a significant contribution to help maintain this momentum forward."

Last year, Mountain America Credit Union purchased the naming rights for the center for $4.5 million, bringing the project closer to construction. In January, the area announced plans to start construction in March. However, this did not happen because the global COVID-19 pandemic has affected the region’s main source of income-hotel bed tax.

Terri Gazdik, chairman of the board of directors of the Falls Auditorium District in Idaho, said: “Starting to build the building has always been a major obstacle.” “The decline in hotel revenue this year directly affected our project, but it didn’t make any difference. This project provides COVID subsidy funds, but we are still moving forward."

Gazdiq said that in the past four months, private companies have donated more than $1 million to the project. Admiral Beverage, a local producer and distributor of Pepsi products, is among them. They also donated US$500,000.

Rob Spear, the district’s executive director, explained that the board of directors has made some outstanding proposals to help secure the remaining funds. He believes that the $500,000 donation from Teton Auto Group will be expected to promote the completion of these transactions.

Spear said: "Once this financial gap is eliminated, we will make this a reality."

Through donations, the area changed the exterior design of facilities, including Teton Auto Group Plaza. The external space next to the building is about the length of the football field and about half the width of the football field. The artistic rendering shows the car dealer’s logo on the sign, and several of its cars are located outside the car.

Once completed, the 48,000-square-foot event center will accommodate up to 5,500 people in various configurations. About 27,000 square feet (about 3 square meters) of this building will be a stage. The auditorium hopes that this arena will become the home of the hockey team, but it can also be used for court sports and other activities. The additional space in the facility will be designated as meeting space for meetings and trade shows.

"This is just the beginning," Hernandez said. "We like to build long-term relationships with things that affect us, where we live, where our employees work, where our customers are, and with things that provide a better lifestyle in and around Idaho Falls.

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