TRIADELPHIA — The Ohio County Development Authority wants to make the most of The Highlands Event Center in 2025, and that could mean bringing in an outside entity to run the facility.

Ohio County Commissioner Randy Wharton, also OCDA president, explained the OCDA is trying to be more effective with how they market the Event Center.

“We’re possibly looking to partner with people who can help us operate and market it — maybe a private -public sector partnership,” he said.

“It’s an excellent facility that we’ve invested a lot of money in. We need to get better, and we’re reaching out to people in the private sector to do that. We’re looking at getting that squared away and being booked continuously.”

While the OCDA is overall pleased with the facility, “it can always be better,” according to Wharton.

“There are some components we need to bring in, and we need some help doing that,” he said. “We hope to generate more revenue by providing more services.”

The ODCA has had a public-private partnership with SFM (Sports Facilities Management) since before opening the facility during the COVID pandemic in 2020. That five-year agreement is about to expire.

“We’re working with their folks to come to an agreement to extend that contract,” Wharton said. “That is going to be a big part of what we are doing the first half of the year.

“We’re trying to work out the details, and we will continue to work on that.”

He expects to call an OCDA meeting sometime in January for members to consider a renewal of the contract with SFM.

While the Sports Complex is popular and often booked, Wharton isn’t certain whether the OCDA is happy that the facility is totally living up to expectations.

“It’s hard to tell because it was brand new,” he explained. “It’s a wonderful facility that is income- and expense-driven.

“The right thing to do was to bring on an outside partner because you have to run it like a business. That’s what we intend to do.”

Wharton added there is “very little empty space” within The Highlands development to bring in more retail development.

“Most that is built out is occupied,” he said. “We’re looking at regional and national restaurant chains to fill out remaining space. We want something to help out with families coming to the Sports Complex so they can get in and out quicker.”

The Highlands development is now more than 20 years old, and original roofs and lighting are on schedule to be replaced this year, Wharton noted.

The next new thing at The Highlands could be housing, he continued.

“We’re trying to develop housing, and we’re hoping something will break this year,” Wharton said.