CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) announced today that they have signed a new 10-year sponsorship agreement for Brampton’s 5,000-seat arena located on Kennedy Rd. near Highway 410 and 407. The transition from the Powerade Centre to the CAA Centre will be completed by late Spring 2018. Terms of the agreement were not provided. An official celebration and sign lighting is being planned.
Coca Cola’s naming rights to the arena ended in 2015 yet the stadium maintained the name. The Centre is owned by Realstar Group, however, an agreement exists for the City of Brampton to takeover ownership at a future date while covering maintenance costs of the facility. The financing arrangements with Realstar Group and the ongoing costs has come under scrutiny recently with city council’s decision to provide $1.5 million to support the for-profit Brampton Beast Hockey Club.
The Centre was built in 1998 as the Brampton Centre for Sports & Entertainment and has not lived up to the hopes for an active and dynamic centre for residents and tourists. Many blame the site’s remote location and lack of highway access. Sports clubs including the Brampton Battalion(OHL) and Brampton A’s(NBL) have recently left the facility and many residents wouldn’t be surprised to see the Brampton Beast leave in the near future.
The rebranding by a major group like CAA is welcome news to many residents who currently have limited sports and entertainment options in the city. The Hershey Centre in Mississauga also recently announced a rebranding to the Paramount Centre and has been home to the successful Raptors 905 G-league team since 2015. The City of Mississauga also supported the Odysseo by Cavalia show last summer at the site.
As part of the deal, CAA says its members will gain access to special offers, events and unique experiences at the Centre. Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey commented on behalf of the City and council that they “look forward to many years of working together to bring Bramptonians exciting sporting and cultural experiences.”
