{"id":192815,"date":"2025-09-02T00:51:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T00:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/192815\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T00:51:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T00:51:25","slug":"will-rogers-to-get-28-6m-from-fort-worth-for-coliseum-renovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/192815\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Rogers to get $28.6M from Fort Worth for coliseum renovations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fort Worth Stock Show goers and steers can expect to spend their future winter competitions in a freshly renovated Will Rogers Coliseum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Aug. 26, the Fort Worth City Council approved $28.6 million to modernize the historic landmark, contributing to a yearslong $50.5 million effort to renovate the Will Rogers Memorial Center.<\/p>\n

Will Rogers is the historic home of the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo<\/a>. The 90-year-old coliseum hosted events ranging from bull riding to concerts to circuses to boxing matches.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s funds will go to preserving the coliseum while updating amenities, including its restrooms, HVAC system, food facilities and electrical system.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Renderings depict what Will Rogers Coliseum could look like once renovations are completed. (Courtesy images | Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty extensive facelift for the building,\u201d said Mike Crum, director of the Fort Worth Public Events Department.<\/p>\n

The money \u2014 which will be doled out over the next four years \u2014 comes in part from hotel tax revenue in the Culture and Tourism Fund<\/a>. Another $12.5 million for the project is being reallocated from other memorial center renovations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Event Facilities Fort Worth Inc., a nonprofit supporting organization for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, is chipping in $5 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur visitors are paying for this project, and this project will enable the coliseum to keep on attracting visitors to our community,\u201d Crum said.<\/p>\n

The renovations continue recent efforts to revitalize the entire Will Rogers Memorial Center by the time it turns 100 in 2036, Crum said. The center reopened in late 2024<\/a> with updated sheep and swine barns. In the last five years, it also saw improvements to its poultry building and cattle barns.<\/p>\n

\"\"A man walks down a swine barn aisle on Dec. 17, 2024, during the unveiling ceremony for the sheep and swine barns and new show arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Matt Carter, president of the stock show and rodeo, said in a statement that keeping costs low while ensuring renovations will complement future improvements were top priorities. The coliseum is in its first phase of projects that will take place over the next 11 years.<\/p>\n

Will Rogers generates more than $217 million annually for the local economy, Carter said, describing it as the \u201cepicenter of the Western equestrian competitive world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dickies Arena<\/a>, which opened in November 2019, neighbors Will Rogers and also hosts stock show events and other acts.<\/p>\n

The coliseum has been closed since March for renovation work and is expected to reopen mid-November through mid-December, Crum said.<\/p>\n

Nine decades of heavy use, foot traffic and hoof traffic created the need for improvements, stock show officials have said.<\/p>\n

Carter remembers being 8 years old, coming to Fort Worth from Amarillo, and visiting the stock show with his father and grandfather. He recalled sitting in the coliseum and watching a rodeo, then getting his first-ever boot shine in the hall outside.<\/p>\n

Will Rogers is \u201cpart of Fort Worth\u2019s DNA,\u201d Crum said, adding that it\u2019s worth investing in.<\/p>\n

Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n

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