Joint venture of Dallas Cowboys, NY Yankees to manage Worcester’s DCU Center for 10 more years

Photo | TMS Aerial Solutions The DCU Center in Worcester

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The City of Worcester has agreed to extend management of the City-owned arena DCU Center by ASM Global for an additional 10 years.

The City’s Civic Center Commission, the five-member board overseeing operations of the property, voted unanimously to extend the contract, according to a press release issued by California-based ASM Global on Monday.

“ASM Global is grateful for the support and trust that the City of Worcester and the Civic Center Commission has shown us over the past 42 years,” Sandy Dunn, ASM Global general manager of the DCU Center, said in the press release. “Together we have experienced tremendous growth, and we look forward to continuing to build on that momentum by driving economic development for the City, providing a first-class experience for our guests, and showcasing all that the DCU Center has to offer.”

The contract includes a yearly management fee paid to ASM of $393,349, according to a statement from Dunn during an Aug. 20 Civic Commission meeting. The fee is adjusted based on the consumer price index on a yearly basis, with growth capped at 3%. Not accounting for CPI-based changes, the City would pay $3.93 million over the next decade.

ASM has agreed to commit $3.5 million in investments towards the venue, including enhancing food and beverage operations, increasing digital advertising opportunities, and exterior upgrades. The venue underwent a $7-million upgrade in the summer of 2023, involving the replacement of over 12,000 seats.

This is the first 10-year contract signed between ASM and the City, with the previous contract containing a five-year length with a five-year extension. ASM provided the City with both a five-year option and 10-year option, with the City selecting the 10-year agreement, said Dunn.

The extension will see ASM continue to operate the seasonal Worcester Common Oval Ice Skating Rink behind City Hall.

ASM Global has been managing the venue since before it officially opened in 1982. In November, the company announced Legends Hospitality, a New York-based company and a joint venture of the ownership of the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, planned to purchase ASM. That transaction was finalized for an undisclosed amount in August, according to a Legends press release.

In May, Marlborough-based Digital Federal Credit Union signed a $1.8-million naming rights deal with the City, which will see the venue retain its current name through at least the end of June 2027.

Eric Casey is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.