San Angelo targets May 2027 start for coliseum renovations

San Angelo is revising plans for a $42 million arena expansion approved by voters last year as rising construction costs put pressure on the project’s budget. 

The San Angelo Rodeo, held each April, is one of the nation’s two largest rodeos and offers nearly $800,000 in prize money. Demand for rodeo tickets, which sold out within hours in 2024, helped drive plans to expand the 68-year-old arena. Voters approved the bond in May 2025 to add seating and modernize the arena. 

Through a public-private partnership approved in July 2025, the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association agreed to assume operation, maintenance and management of the renovated arena, known as CRC Roofers Coliseum. The original agreement also makes the association responsible for construction costs exceeding the city’s bond funding. The city will retain ownership of the coliseum. 

The stock show has committed $9 million toward the project, bringing bond funding and its contribution to roughly $51 million, with bond interest providing additional funding. Officials are revising the design to fit the available resources. The association remains responsible for any further overruns. 

Rising steel prices are driving changes to the arena’s design as officials seek to preserve promised improvements within the available budget. City leaders discussed redesign options in August to reduce construction costs and keep the expansion moving forward. The council approved a construction manager and an amendment in October documenting the stock show’s $9 million contribution, which will now also cover the redesign plans. 

Officials are considering the use of concrete for additions originally envisioned in steel, Chief Project Officer Rick Weise told council members in August. Other potential savings could involve changes to the building’s layout and exterior. Revised plans are expected to retain expanded seating, suites, improved accessibility and substantially expanded restrooms. 

Originally, construction on the arena renovations was set to start in March 2026. Now, the city is targeting a start on or before May 1, according to city documents. During the August discussion, Weise attributed the time needed to developing construction drawings, completing procurement and revising the design to meet the budget.  

In October, the council selected architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, known as HOK, to advance the revised plans. The assignment includes reviewing existing conditions, revising earlier designs and coordinating decisions on costs and construction. The selection emphasized preserving usable structural and building systems and prioritizing needs within the available budget. 

HOK will work with Hoar Construction, which received a $47.2 million construction manager at risk contract in August. Hoar has a San Angelo office and experience working locally, including the renovation of Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum. 

CRC Roofers Coliseum has about 5,000 permanent seats and room for roughly 2,000 portable seats, with the expansion proposal calling for approximately 10,000 permanent seats. The city also markets the multipurpose arena for concerts, family entertainment, sporting events, trade shows, and exhibits. Its arena floor provides about 20,000 square feet of event space. 

The San Angelo stock show began in 1932, added a rodeo two years later and earned induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame this year. The coliseum opened in 1958 after a tornado destroyed earlier fairgrounds facilities. It hosted its first indoor rodeo the following year. 

Photo courtesy of the City of San Angelo