CHARLESTON, W.Va. – It’s a brand new day for the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center as city officials unveiled a $5.2 million renovation to the facility highlighted by all-new seats in the arena.

For those involved in the process, the new seats represent more than just a place to sit for a show or game.

Amy Shuler Goodwin

“They’re new seats. There’ll be new stories, but what you heard today was people being reflective about why this building and why this coliseum mean so much to them,” Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said.

As part of the renovations, the old seats were removed, along with the 15 pounds of gum scraped off of them, before the handrails, fascia, and steps were painted, and finally the 9,876 new chairs were installed. With most of the previous seats being original to the building, Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Tim Brady said this project has been needed for a while.

“Seat renovation has been a long time coming. It was very quick once we got started, but it’s been a process to get us to this point. These seats are sorely needed, and it’s a real game changer for inside the coliseum,” he said.

The investment in the coliseum is significant, but it’s one that officials say is necessary. The potential benefit to the city was at the forefront of everyone’s mind throughout the process.

“What we’re doing is making sure that as we move forward, we still have those wonderful stories and memories, but we create a return on investment because that’s our job to make sure what we’re spending in our facilities, we get back tenfold,” Shuler Goodwin said.

From the CVB’s perspective, Brady said this is a big step in the right direction. Charleston continues to draw new attractions, like the USA Gymnastics event coming next year, and upgrades to the coliseum are another way to show everything the city has to offer.

Tim Brady

“It looks like a new and modern facility, which it is. It doesn’t look as dated. It doesn’t look as dirty. It’s clean. It’s crisp. This is a real game changer for when we bring people in to see it because now they’re going to see this really great facility that we have here in Charleston,” Brady said.

The new seats will welcome spectators for the first time next week at the WVSSAC State High School Volleyball Tournament, and acts like Styx, Warren Zeiders, and Nate Bargatze are due to appear at the coliseum over the next month.

“That’s our niche now in Charleston, WV, is to be an entertainment and sports destination. You see that here locally. You see that here throughout the state and the country, and, oh, by the way, you see that now internationally,” Shuler Goodwin said.

Additional improvements made to the facility include a reconfiguration of the seats within the arena and upgrades to the concession stands and restrooms.