The Charlottesville City Council approved an agreement Monday which officially changed the name of the Charlottesville Pavilion to the nTelos Wireless Pavilion.
The City has leased the pavilion to the independent company Charlottesville Pavilion, LLC since 2003, and part of the lease contract allows the company to seek corporate naming rights.
Kirby Hutto, general manager of the pavilion, said it was the company's original intent to seek out a named sponsor.
"The biggest challenge was the economy the past couple years," Hutto said. "We would have liked to have done this sooner and [found] a good deal."
Hutto said the pavilion was excited to work with nTelos Wireless, a communications company based in Waynesboro, Va.
"We've been in discussions with them for a while now," Hutto said. "It's another local business and an opportunity for Central Virginia."
Hutto said the increased revenue from the corporate sponsorship will benefit not only the pavilion, but also the greater Charlottesville community.
"With the additional resources we can expand our programming," Hutto said. "We've been talking and getting in touch with various non-profits to raise funds for local charities."
Although the name is officially changed, Hutto explained it should have little effect on concert-goers.
"For somebody coming down for a concert, it won't be all that different," Hutto said. "If you're looking at the programming over the course of a year you'll notice a difference."
City Councilor Kristin Szakos said she believes the pavilion serves a purpose for the Charlottesville community and will continue to do so, regardless of the name.
"One thing we need to remember is the pavilion does provide a lot of good to the city," Szakos said. "They've brought in a lot of diversity in the performers and offer the space to non-profits. It is a positive for us."
Although this was the company's plan all along, some Council members were not as excited about the name change.
Szakos said the terms of the lease only prohibited naming rights which were "indecent or offensive," something difficult to prove for nTelos.
"We could have disapproved it, but it would have been hard to show cause since it was not offensive or indecent, so we let it happen," Szakos said. As a result, the councilors lacked flexibility in reaching their decision.
"I don't think anyone's really enthusiastic about it," Szakos said. "Right in the mall, right in the heart of the city, in our identity, it is bothersome. But it's not the end of the world"
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