Saginaw County Approves Dow Event Center Improvements

The Saginaw County Board of Commissioners greenlit $8.6 million worth of improvements to the Dow Event Center during Tuesday night’s meeting.

In preparation for next year’s Memorial Cup hockey tournament, the venue will undergo a series of changes including the addition of a team locker room, four more VIP suites, and renovations to the media suite, representing an investment of $3 million.

Other improvements included in the project, like the replacement of the Dow’s Wendler Arena ceiling, equipment updates, and elevators to the arena’s suites, would have been considered regardless of the Memorial Cup, and account for the remaining funds.

The $8.6 million price tag is an increase from an earlier estimate of $5.5 million, and officials say the difference will be taken from the county’s delinquent tax fund until the county finds corporate sponsors and state funding.