By TERRY PUGH
The sign over the door at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex (WHCC) will be staying put for at least five more years.
Warman City Council passed a motion at its meeting on Monday, April 28 to award the naming rights for the multipurpose facility to Warman Home Centre LP for a five-year term, effective January 1, 2025.
The city agreed to endorse a contract whereby Warman Home Centre will pay $50,000 per year for the naming rights to the WHCC.
Originally known as the Legends Centre under a 10-year, $100,000 branding agreement between the City of Warman and KH Developments when the facility opened in late 2011, the name was changed to the Warman Home Centre Communiplex two years ago to reflect a revised agreement involving a restructuring of KH Developments and the Warman Home Centre. The new agreement saw Warman Home Centre emerge as the major sponsor in exchange for an annual payment of $50,000.
That naming agreement was set to expire this year. After several months of negotiation, the company offered the city a five-year agreement which would see the company pay $40,000 per year for the first three years, and $50,000 per year for the final two years.
However, that offer didn’t sit well with most city councillors.
At the March 17 city council committee of the whole meeting, several councillors expressed disappointment that the company was offering less than previously; particularly when the facility is being upgraded with a second ice surface.
A week later, during the March 24 regular city council meeting, a letter was received from Warman Home Centre advising council that the company had revised its offer. It was now offering $50,000 per year with a five-year contract term. The proposed contract also contained an exclusivity clause. After finalizing negotiations last week, city council agreed to the contract and passed a motion at its April 28 meeting instructing the city administration to sign the naming rights agreement.