UTICA, NY – The Upper Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority and Adirondack Bank announced a 10-year,
multi-million-dollar agreement to amend the name of the newly renovated Utica Memorial Auditorium
facility to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. This venue serves as the home
of the Utica Comets, Utica College Men’s and Women’s hockey programs, Utica Jr. Comets organization,
and a host of world-class concerts and events.
The AUD Authority and Adirondack Bank joined together for a press conference on the lawn next to
Oriskany Boulevard on Wednesday morning, which also featured representation from Oneida County,
Mohawk Valley Garden, Utica College, and the area’s local veterans.
“Adirondack Bank’s commitment to banking local and giving back to our community falls in line with what
The Auditorium has stood for since 1959,” Adirondack Bank Executive Vice President Robert Clark
expressed.
“As someone who has both lived in the area my entire life and also served on The AUD Authority for nine
years, rebranding the venue with the partnership from Adirondack Bank is a step forward in all aspects of
our operations,” AUD Authority Chairman Carl Annese explained. “Keeping Utica Memorial Auditorium in
the full version of the name is also important to ensure that the memories of our veterans are kept alive
and always at the forefront.”
“I think it’s great that Adirondack Bank is the naming rights partner with The AUD because it will preserve
the memories of Veterans for years to come,” said Staff Sergeant Vincent Scalese, Executive Director of
CNY Veteran’s Outreach.
The newly-named Adirondack Bank Center has been closed to the public since May, while undergoing a
large-scale renovation and addition project. The 21,000-squre foot addition, which will be completed in
the next 30 days, adds women’s restrooms, office space, ADA-compliant renovations, a sprinkler system,
and suites & loge seating to the National Engineering Historic Landmark.
“The rebirth of The AUD has been one of Oneida County’s greatest recent success stories,” said Oneida
County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “What was already the premier arena in the AHL has been taken
to a whole other level thanks to its newly-renovated features. This new name and partnership with
Adirondack Bank are a reflection of that growth and transformation.”
“The core values of The AUD and Adirondack Bank Center align themselves seamlessly, especially in
terms of both parties’ beliefs in the power and reach of our community’s civic pride,” Mohawk Valley
Garden President Robert Esche said. “A partnership of this magnitude assures sustainability, both in
terms of the memories of the Veterans and The AUD itself.”
The Adirondack Bank Center will reopen to the public on October 27 for the Utica College Men’s home
opener, followed by the Utica Comets home opener on November 1. Limited tickets for both contests are
still available on www.empirestatetix.com.
About Adirondack Bank
Adirondack Bank is a locally owned and operated full service community bank that serves Upstate New
York from the historic Mohawk Valley to the Canadian Border. They are dedicated to providing their
customers with outstanding service, convenient locations, and competitive products. They are actively
involved in the communities that they serve and value the relationships they have built with customers
and neighbors.
