San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Sycuan Casino announced today a naming rights agreement for the Sycuan Green Line. The MTS Board of Directors approved the agreement unanimously at its meeting on Thursday, October 19.
The naming rights agreement will generate up to $25.5 million in non-fare revenue for MTS operations over a term of up to 30 years.
“This agreement furthers our commitment to invest in organizations that serve the entire San Diego community,” said Cody Martinez, Chairman, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. “We are excited for the public to take advantage of the MTS transportation network to be able to access all of our current casino and future resort amenities.”
The Sycuan Green Line is almost 24 miles long and serves some of the region’s major attractions including SDSU, SDCCU Stadium, Mission Valley, Hazard Center, Fashion Valley, Old Town, Seaport Village, the Convention Center, Gaslamp Quarter and Petco Park. Additionally, it serves 27 stations in the cities of Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa and San Diego. The Sycuan Green Line also has high visibility along Interstate 8.
In addition to the naming rights, the agreement also allows Sycuan to operate bus shuttles to the Sycuan Casino from select MTS Transit Centers: Santee, El Cajon, Grantville and 12th & Imperial. Sycuan will also receive the right to change the name of three MTS stations.
“MTS has been one of the nation’s leaders in securing new sources of revenue to support our operations,” said Paul Jablonski, Chief Executive Officer of MTS. “The Sycuan Green Line agreement will be a sustainable revenue source that will be used exclusively to help maintain our level of service throughout San Diego.
“We, too, are excited to have a naming rights partner that shares our mission to get people off our roads and provide a transportation alternative. This agreement helps the entire region achieve its climate action goals.”
Sycuan Casino has also started construction on a 12-story, 300-room hotel complete with pools, restaurants, meeting rooms, gardens and a lazy river. It is scheduled to open in early 2019.
This is the second major naming rights agreement for MTS. UC San Diego Health and UC San Diego are in the third year of its 30-year naming rights agreement for the UC San Diego Blue Line. MTS will continue to seek naming rights partners for the Orange Line and individual stations.
The Superlative Group, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the naming rights consultant for MTS.
About Sycuan Casino
Sycuan Casino began as a humble Bingo Palace in 1983. Now more than 33 years later, it has become a community landmark. Undergoing a massive renovation in 2012, Sycuan features 2,000 exciting reel and video slot machines, more than 40 gaming tables, including poker and bingo and a variety of restaurants. Non-smokers will also enjoy over 800 slots and table games in the comfort of San Diego’s first and largest fully-enclosed non-smoking room, complete with a separate entrance and Paipa’s Buffet. The GameDay Sports Bar & Grill has 39 wide-screen TVs, including five 90-inch TVs, bar-top slot machines, a stadium-sized menu with over 30 beers on tap, a Party Pit complete with three blackjack tables, an extensive collection of sports memorabilia and a high-energy atmosphere. Sycuan’s intimate 452-seat entertainment venue, Sycuan Live & Up Close, features national musical acts and comedians year-round. Open 24 hours daily. For more information about Sycuan Casino visit www.sycuan.com or call 619-445-6002.
About San Diego MTS
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services in 10 cities and the county. In FY 2017, MTS served more than 88 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
Contact:
Adam Day, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
aday@sycuan-nsn.gov
619-994-4855
Rob Schupp, San Diego MTS
rob.schupp@sdmts.com
619-557-4588
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