Veterans Memorial Coliseum Revitalization Project

Dane County invites proposals from qualified teams to deliver a comprehensive renovation of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the 164-acre campus of the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Dane County intends to partner with a qualified team which will be responsible for designing, building, financing, operating, and maintaining the Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of a major renovation project (collectively the Project). Qualified proposal teams will likely include, but are not limited to, the following entities: a developer(s), architect / designer, construction manager, and arena operator (collectively the Team, or Proposer), though one entity may provide multiple services outlined above.

The Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 10,320-seat arena completed in 1967 that is owned and operated by Dane County. The facility has historically hosted a wide range of events, including concerts, family shows, graduations, sporting events, and other miscellaneous arena events. However, the facility requires capital investment to re-establish its competitive position amongst regional facilities and better align with Dane County goals and objectives for its operation (discussed herein).

This RFP is for redevelopment of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum only; development proposals for adjacent real estate will not be entertained. Proposals for a new arena or venue will also not be considered. It is Dane County’s intent to issue a separate procurement for development of adjacent real estate in 2026; Proposers submitting and / or selected for this RFP will not be precluded from the real estate procurement. Proposers should assume that the renovation project is limited to the boundaries as outlined in Appendix A, though the County will entertain development ideas that repurpose the current Arena (22,000 square feet, in total) as a new campus gathering space or as an entrance for to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Additional description of the campus and facilities is provided in the RFP.

Through this RFP, the County hopes to select a proposal which is most responsive to its stated goals and objectives and to negotiate financial terms and a long-term lease agreement for operation of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Although this RFP encompasses a request for both qualifications and financial proposals, final terms and conditions will be subject to negotiations that will be outlined in appropriate definitive documents. The RFP contains additional detail about the expected terms of the agreements. Such agreements will be subject to authorization by Dane County.