Simpsonville approved Opry Entertainment Group as amphitheater manager: City Council notes

Here is a recap of the Simpsonville City Council meeting on Feb. 10.

Approved: Contract with Opry Entertainment Group to manage amphitheater

Simpsonville City Council approved a contract with Opry Entertainment Group to manage CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park.

The contract, which will run through Dec. 31, 2036, includes plans for the Nashville, Tennessee-based company to invest $6 million in capital improvements within the next five years.

OEG owns and manages various entertainment venues and live event businesses, including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live at Moody Theater, the Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red Brand, the Luke Combs-inspired Category 10 brand, Ascend Federal Credit Union, and Southern Entertainment, a festival production company.

CCNB Amphitheatre was previously managed by TRZ Management, a company that works with LiveNation, an events promoter and venue operator, to book entertainers. Council voted in October to terminate TRZ’s contract, effective Jan. 30.

Approved: Plans to reopen Hunter Street

Council voted 4-3 to approve a measure to reopen Hunter Street by Aug. 8, a road on the back of the League Estates subdivision that was used as a cut-thru route.

Over the coming months, city staff has been requested to study the potential traffic issues when the road reopens and to come up with traffic calming measures, which the council will have to approve.

During the citizen comments portion of the meeting, multiple residents spoke out against reopening the street, repeating how the neighborhood has become safer for pedestrians since the road was closed in November 2022.

Residents from the Poinsettia and Cedar Cove subdivision also discussed traffic issues around their neighborhoods and requested Hunter Street be reopened.

Council previously explored reopening Hunter Street in January 2023, but the proposal failed by a vote of 6-1, with Councilmember Aaron Rupe (Ward 2) casting the dissenting vote.

Approved: Resolutions for city parks

Council approved two resolutions related to city parks.

The first resolution establishes Liberty Park on a one-quarter-acre property at the intersection of South Main Street and Fairview Road and adds a $50,000 line item in the next fiscal year budget to begin site development.

The second resolution directs City Administrator Tee Coker to investigate the feasibility and legal requirements for establishing a municipal parks corporation, nonprofit foundation or hybrid structure to support the acquisition, funding and development of park properties.

Approved: Accommodations tax recommendations

Council approved a measure that awards $156,500 in accommodations tax funds, money that is collected from taxes on hotel stays in the city, to projects or events recommended by the city’s Accommodations Tax Committee.

The committee’s recommendations include:

• Simply Freedom Fest – $50,000
• Sipping in Simpsonville Wine Tasting – $11,000
• Halloween at Heritage Park – $9,500
• Sipping in Simpsonville Beer Tasting – $11,000
• Simpsonville Garden Club Civic Beautification Project – $1,500
• Simpsonville Arts Foundation Oktoberfest – $8,000
• Simpsonville Arts Foundation Spring Into Art – $ 2,000
• Everything Outdoor Fest – $20,000
• South Carolina Koi & Goldfish Show – $10,000
• Simpsonville Youth Theatre Acting Up Camp/Classes/Shows – $10,000
• Simpsonville Echoes Ensemble Theatre Ensemble Special Needs – $10,000
• Movies in the Park – $5,000
• Food Truck Rodeo and Concert Series – $12,000

Other items

Council approved several items, including:

• A measure that awards $62,500 in accommodations tax funds to the Simpsonville Chamber to fund the city’s welcome center.
• An ordinance to allow the city administrator to possibly refinance $6.75 million in sewer system revenue refunding bonds. Coker said refinancing may save the city $19,000 a year in payments. This item will go before the City Council for final approval March 10
• A measure to create a Citizen’s Academy, which would allow residents to meet City Council and staff and learn about city planning and programs, ordinances and other information.