Night time at the Railyard, Lincoln, Neb., which Spectra will now manage.
Nothing is likely to derail the new dynamism being felt at the Lincoln, Neb. downtown enclave known as the Railyard on Canopy Street, the premier entertainment district in the Cornhusker state capital.
That excitement results from Spectra by Comcast Spectacor's selection to deliver venue management, food services, hospitality and partnerships to the Railyard. Spectra has tabbed seven-year company veteran Brian Krajewski, most recently director of marketing with Tsongas Center, Lowell, Mass. as property general manager.
Over his career, Krajewski has also shepherded marketing efforts for Spectra at the Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho, N.M., and Glens Falls (N.Y.) Civic Center.
Chris Connolly, general manager of the Iowa Event Center, Des Moines, was integrally involved in the selection of Spectra and of Krajewski. TDP Phase One, LLC, a partnership between WRK, LLC and Chief Industries, made the initial move, he said.
“WRK reached out to our business development folks in Philadelphia,” he recalled. “As talks got more serious about us taking over management of the Railyard, it made sense for me to go out there, as I'm just a three-hour drive away.
“The Railyard is similar to what we do at Xfinity Live in Philadelphia and, at the end of the day, is all about the business we're in – entertainment, marketing and advertising.”
The dense and compact geography of the Railyard helps explain its entertainment mecca status. The district is situated across the street from Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Nebraska Cornhuskers play their basketball games. The arena just announced that it would host a series of concerts by country music legend Garth Brooks in October.
Memorial Stadium, where the Cornhuskers football team plays its games, is a 10-minute walk away, Connolly said. And if that's not enough, Lincoln's Minor League Baseball franchise, the Lincoln Saltdogs of Independent Professional Baseball's American Association, plays its games just steps from the Railyard at Haymarket Park.
The Railyard features 13 restaurants and bars, live entertainment, The Public Market, and The Cube presented by Union Bank & Trust. “The Cube is a large, large, large video screen, and when the Nebraska football games are on, both home and away, those football games are being broadcast on The Cube,” Connolly said.
Spectra feels it can market this very attractive piece of downtown Lincoln real estate more effectively than past managers have. “And that's where Brian comes in,” Connolly said. “He has a marketing background, and was the director of marketing at Tsongas Center. Brian was a very attractive candidate. We were looking for a marketing person. And it's really about relationships. This account is a bit different from most, in that not only do we need to drive business at the Railyard, but we have several tenants in the Railyard. And nourishing that business really centers around the building of relationships.”
SAME BLUEPRINT
For his part, Krajewski believes Spectra is well equipped to ensure the Railyard reaches its full potential. “You look at what we do at Xfinity Live in Philadelphia, and it's the same kind of blueprint as an entertainment district goes,” he said. “We felt this was something where we could take what we've learned at Xfinity Live over a number of years, and use that experience to enhance the Railyard experience.”
He agrees with Connolly that relationships are the key. “At Tsongas Center, I was fortunate to have met a lot of people,” he said. “Building relationships opened up a lot of doors for me back in Lowell. I built a relationship with the convention and visitors bureau in Lowell, and that was what they were looking for; someone to do it at the Railyard as well. They wanted someone with experience in building rapport with CVBs . . . If you are going to live and work in a place and ingrain yourself in the community, those relationships are crucial.”
EXCITING HURDLES
Asked about any challenges he might face, Krajewski noted that he's coming from an arena background into an event district space, and that will involve shifting gears to some degree.
But he says he's been exceptionally fortunate to have worked with outstanding individuals in each of the settings where he's served. He's learned a tremendous amount about managing venues, and that is knowledge he can take to the Railyard. “Being in a situation where I can put my stamp on [the venue] is going to be a challenge, but it's something I'm excited about,” he said. “I have a great support system within the company. I know I can pick up the phone and have any kind of service I need provided, to make this transition and this venue as good as can be. And the client, WRK has been great to work with. We're excited about making this a long-term relationship and making the Railyard as great as WRK, and we know it can be.”
Connolly believes the combination of Spectra's full range of services and Krajewski's experience will enormously benefit the Railyard. “And from what I've seen in the past two months, development is really, really strong in downtown Lincoln,” he said.
“That's great for all of us and will really help the Railyard," added Krajewski. "There's a ton of potential there. It really should be the destination and entertainment spot right after games, concerts and events. We're really excited to get in there, and we feel Brian will do a great job. All his strengths are perfectly tailored to the distinctive opportunities presented by the Railyard.”