Business View Magazine | March 2018

41 The Cityof Utica operated theAud until 1996,when it was sold to the Upper MohawkValleyMemorial AuditoriumAuthority,a state-appointed bodycharged with determining policyand overseeing the operation of the facility.Unfortunately,over the next several years, theAud continued to deteriorate,and in 2013,the Authority signed a six-year deal with Esche’s company, MohawkValleyGarden,tomanage the auditoriumand bookall future events,replacing the former operating company,Venue Services.“When our companycame in, theAudwas in a veryweak state,”he recalls.“It pretty much sat dormant for 16 years; therewasn’t a lot that was done to the facility,itself,and it was ready to shut the doors within 18months.” With $10million promised by the State of New York for facilityupgrades,Eschewas able to entice the Peoria Rivermen,theAHL farm teamof theNational HockeyLeague’sVancouver Canucks,to relocate and