Business View Magazine l November 2022

164 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 “We’ve been able to attract The Go Big Show, which is a TV show that films on TBS. For the last two years they have rented out the Coliseum for six weeks. It’s events like that that really drive hotel and motel tax,” describes Aiello. The Georgia High School Association brings state basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading and dance championships to the Coliseum, which is another positive for the facilities, as he explains, “We really want to be the hub for Middle Georgia for sports and the location of Macon really helps with that. If the high school championships were in Atlanta, some people would have a five-hour drive just to get there. So being in Macon, it’s centrally located. At most, you’re going to have a three-hour drive, and you don’t have to deal with the Atlanta traffic.” Through a Georgia initiative called SPLOST, a special-purpose sales tax which the state distributes every 10 years, Macon Centreplex has instituted some capital improvement projects. “We’ve been able to make renovations to the Coliseum and the Auditorium, just to upgrade the facilities, and upgrade the mechanical,” reports Aiello. With the Auditorium currently undergoing a facelift he adds, “We just finished phase one of that. Phase two will go through the end of next summer, and we’re looking to spend anywhere from $15 to $20 million, just to accomplish that.” The first phase included a renovation of the old ceiling, which was moldy due to a previously leaking roof. It also included new bathrooms, which Aiello says was a necessary upgrade as they were the number one complaint among patrons. Phase two of the project will involve painting, new carpet, new chairs, and the addition of two restrooms on the main level of the auditorium. An enhanced concession area will feature grab