WesBanco Arena in downtown Wheeling. (File photo)

WHEELING – Officials with the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority are looking at ways to address operating expenses that have been escalating in recent months, particularly in regard to sharply increased utility costs.

This week, the GWSEA gathered for the monthly board meeting to get an update on finances and operations at WesBanco Arena and the Capitol Theatre over the past couple of months.

“Our expenses are taking a hit this month,” Nancy Hughes, fiscal officer, told the GWSEA board. “Utilities continue to remain elevated due to seasonal factors.”

In January, Hughes reported that utility bills were markedly high, particularly during the extremely cold stretch of wintry weather. Costs associated with heating the cavernous spaces inside the arena and the theater led to much higher heating bills, she reported.

Utility costs in January were $62,000 compared to $56,000 in November and December combined. In March, the water bill increased substantially, Hughes noted.

“Our water bill just for the month of March was $17,000, and our year-to-date water bill was $33,000. So just in March, we had half the total,” she said, adding that from July to February, expenses for water totaled around $17,000 – the same for the month of March alone.

Officials stressed that this indicates there has to be a leak somewhere in the system, noting that even with many hockey games taking place and ice being made in the rink, there should not be so much water usage.

“It seems like our expenses are skyrocketing,” said board member Rocky Fitzsimmons, who suggested that they consider taking action not only to locate a potential leak but to also evaluate the efficiency of utility equipment in the arena and theater.

“We definitely have that issue at the theater,” said GWSEA Executive Director Kelly Tucker. “We’re working with a boiler that is very outdated. We have to turn it up very high in order to get the theater warm, but when you walk in the lobby, it feels like it’s 100 degrees. I know at the theater we definitely have efficiency issues.”

Hughes noted in her financial report that other expenses were also coming in higher than usual.

“Similarly, concession supplies for March were over $100,000,” she said. “This one makes more sense to me because we stock up on a lot of concessions for the MEC and for the PBC, but that’s almost a third of the year-to-date concession supplies of $336,000.”

With a myriad of events taking place recently, costs for security personnel were also up, Hughes said.

“So we continue to be concerned about the upward trend in expenses,” she noted, explaining that historically, revenues help stabilize figures as the year unfolds. The MEC revenues have not yet been settled and will be added into future totals, but the average revenues versus average expenses are currently uneven. “That average is still trending higher than the prior years. We’re at a deficit of approximately $100,000.”

Officials are also examining various fees to see if they are commensurate with the current rate of inflation. Tucker noted that concession prices at the arena are due for an increase, but a mid-season adjustment would not be ideal. Currently, beer prices at the Capitol are at $9, while they are still $8 at WesBanco Arena.

The city’s two major entertainment venues have been busy with events – with 11 held in March, including seven Wheeling Nailers hockey games, one concert by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, the new PCB (Professional Championship Bull Riders) Tour, the MEC (Mountain East Conference) Basketball Tournament and the annual He’s Alive! performances around the Easter holiday.

A successful Harlem Globetrotters appearance took place this month at the arena, and the theater hosted several successful concerts – from the WSO “Star Wars” event to ZZ Top, Clint Black and more. Financials for April have not yet been tallied, but otherwise year-to-date, the Tough Man competition leads the way in revenues this year, followed by PCB rodeo events. The MEC basketball tournament will likely fall in the top 10 for the year, as well, officials noted.