Operating losses climbing at city of Kent ShoWare Center

There was a bit of good news about the city-owned accesso ShoWare Center in Kent because so far this year, its income statement is ahead of budget.

But that $126,000 difference doesn’t make much of a dent as million-dollar operating losses continue to stack up at the 6,200-seat arena.

Through September, the ShoWare Center had expenses of $3.5 million and income of $2.0 million for a loss of $1.5 million, according to a nine-month income statement released by Legends Global, the operator of the arena.

The city lost $1.05 million operating the arena in 2024, the first year it had exceeded $1 million in losses.

“Through the end of September we are $126,000 better than budget,” said Arletta Voter, ShoWare Center director of finance, at the Oct. 30 meeting of the Kent Public Facilities District Board that helps oversee the arena. “We are projected to make budget by year’s end.”

But making budget will still mean large losses.

City Finance Director Paula Painter explained at the meeting how much the city contributes each year to the ShoWare Center to help it cover operating losses with money from the city’s general fund budget.

According to city documents, the city’s general fund contributed $1.5 million to the arena in 2024 and $750,000 so far in 2025 with more to come to cover the mounting losses.

“There will be more coming in because typically we transfer in what the fund needs once it starts running short on dollars,” Painter said. “I don’t have the (city) budget in front of me but I want to say the budget is $1.5 million to $2 million.”

That means city staff anticipates spending an ever higher amount in 2025 covering losses than it did in 2024. ShoWare Center staff blamed lower attendance and several canceled shows for the high losses last year.