The city received five responses to its request, which closed in July. The selection committee is negotiating with two finalists:
- Global Spectrum, an 8-year-old company based in Philadelphia that operates arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, convention halls, ice centers and fairgrounds around North America. Its parent company is Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
- SMG, a 29-year-old company, also based in Philadelphia, which operates a similar array of facilities around North America and Europe. Its Virginia sites include the Richmond Coliseum and Charlottesville's John Paul Jones Arena, where it partners with Red Light Management.
Any sort of management contract would be subject to approval by the city council, said Roanoke Assistant City Manager Jim Grigsby.