FCCFA Issues RFQ for $400M Nationwide Arena Renovation
Architect and engineering responses are due Oct. 7, with phased work aimed at completion before the 2031 NHL season.
Nationwide Arena's long-discussed renovation just moved from talking points to a procurement calendar. The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority issued a request for qualifications on September 9 seeking architectural and engineering teams for a phased project estimated around $400 million.
Responses are due October 7, with design-team selection expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Under the construction manager at-risk model, contractor selection is targeted for the second quarter of 2027, a guaranteed maximum price in early 2028, and construction soon after. Substantial completion is framed before the 2031 NHL season, with the arena expected to keep hosting Blue Jackets games and concerts through phased work.
Details in this story draw from Sports Business Journal's RFQ report, Sports Venue Business coverage, and the project's public hub at nationwidearenafuture.com.
What the preliminary program includes
Early phases lean on critical systems, safety, accessibility, and operations. Later phases aim at guest experience: an expanded Front Street entrance, plaza bar and digital watch-party display, terrace or covered fan entrance, upper-concourse food hall tied to an improved Founder's Club, refreshed seating and premium spaces, new elevators and escalator replacements, a pedestrian bridge from McConnell Garage, team-store relocation in the McConnell rotunda, and garage and loading-dock upgrades.
FCCFA owns the arena after buying it from Nationwide in 2012. Casino-tax shortfalls and rising operating costs have shaped the funding conversation for years. A July 2026 admissions-tax increase from 5% to 7% is part of the operating backdrop. Full financing still depends on a mix of state, county, city, and private dollars.
Why fans should care now
October 7 is not a construction start. It is the deadline for design teams to raise their hands. Conceptual renderings already show a brighter Front Street plaza and terrace life around the brick bowl that has anchored the Arena District since 2000. For ticket holders, the near-term takeaway is continuity: games and shows are expected to continue while systems and concourses get rebuilt in stages.
Plan a Jackets night with our first-timer sports and game-day guide. Neighborhood logistics start on Arena District. Broader sports listings live under Things to Do: Sports. Visitors stacking a weekend around a concert or hockey date can use weekend in Columbus for visitors.
The RFQ is live. The renderings are public. The shovel still waits on design selection, financing, and that 2027 contractor step.
