Frances Glenn, left, tourism director for the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, speaks to the CVB board while John Brady, board attorney, listens Tuesday at the CVB office. The board at its regular meeting approved extending its interlocal cooperative agreement with the city of Columbus until Sept. 30, 2027, for its $1 million contribution toward the completion of the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater. Braden Simmons/Dispatch Staff	
			The Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau extended the clock by a year for the city to draw on its $1 million share to build the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater on the Island.
The board approved extending the end date of its interlocal agreement with the city to Sept. 30, 2027, at its Tuesday meeting. The city council agreed to the extension earlier this month.
“We committed to doing that, and the money is allocated and set aside for that purpose,” Liz Terry, board president, said after the meeting. “And just because they didn’t get to use it this fiscal year, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t extend it. … We’re hoping the amphitheater (will encourage) growth for the city of Columbus and help to promote tourism. Because they’re going to have events there that I’m hoping will be big enough to draw people (who) will stay overnight.”

			
			
				
				Liz Terry
				
		

Since 2017, the city has spent more than $3.5 million on the amphitheater, all from legislative appropriations, to build it in phases. After receiving $1 million in state funding, the city tossed in an additional $1 million for the completion of the project before the CVB ponied up $1 million in November.
John Brady, CVB board attorney, said when the agreement was initially signed, it accounted for the money being pulled in this fiscal year. So far, the city has not begun to draw on that funding, he said.
City Engineer Kevin Stafford said that is because the city is paying out its state funding for the amphitheater first before pulling from the CVB’s funds or its own $1 million contribution.
The CVB funding gave the city the means to bid out the project and select Burks-Mordecai Builders Inc. in May to complete construction work, including concrete, landscaping and installing lower-bowl seating in what will become the 3,500-capacity venue.
Construction for the facility, which began in June, is progressing well, Stafford said. Crews have already largely finished concrete and electrical conduit work. Within the next few weeks, construction efforts will move to the site’s bathroom facilities, stage roofing and other amenities.

			
			
				
				Kevin Stafford
				
		

“It’ll be like anything,” Stafford said. “You always see if a house goes up the walls go up really quick, and it’s all the fine touches that take forever. And so, while all this kind of happened pretty quick, now all the fine-tuning of the details starts going into the interior to really make it nice, if you will.”
The amphitheater should be complete by mid-April, Stafford said.
CVB budget
During its meeting, the CVB also approved its FY 2027 budget.
Matt Bogue, board treasurer and secretary, said the board based its more than $2.8 million budget on city and county tax receipts for FY 2026.
The budget, which is about $300,000 higher than last fiscal year, accounts for a more than $360,000 increase in tourism tax receipts.
“There was a lot more money that came in this year, and so we budgeted at 95% of what we actually think we’re going to bring in this year,” Bogue said.

			
			
				
				Matt Bogue
				
		

The CVB is funded by a 2% local restaurant and hotel sales tax collected within the city of Columbus and in Lowndes County.
Bogue said that jump is believed to come from the increased costs of food and hotel rooms alongside an increase in purchases generally within the city.
While the largest budget item on the upcoming budget is the $1 million contribution for the amphitheater, the CVB also approved a more than $280,000 bump to its marketing and advertising.
The rest of the board’s budget will cover other costs, including the CVB’s operating expenses, the costs of organizing events like Catfish in the Alley and Fireworks on the Water.
That bump, Bogue said, helps to bridge what was previously covered by American Rescue Plan Act funds for the CVB, which were all used during this previous fiscal year.
The CVB’s marketing budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes billboard advertisements, advertising efforts for the amphitheater and print advertisements in magazines and newspapers.
“We’ve been able to lean on those ARPA funds to help bridge that gap,” Bogue said. “Now that the ARPA’s dried up, then it’s gone. We’re having to go back to it … (being) a robust part of our budget.”
			
						
						
			
      
      
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