March money figures are all calculated, and North Little Rock’s Alltel Arena’s big month was a windfall for county and city taxes. The run of events during the big month — 13 events in a 19-day period — drew more than 186,000 people to Alltel.
Here’s highlights from a press release on the news:
The arena hosted six concert acts in March alone including the Rolling Stones, Kid Rock, R. Kelly, Nine Inch Nails, Cirque de Soleil (two nights) and Rascal Flatts. One stage play, “Madea Goes to Jail,” was also presented as well as two basketball tournaments, the SEC Women’s Championship and the AAA High School Championships, and five Rimrocker games. March attendance at the arena totaled a record breaking 186,042.
In addition to all-time highs in events and attendance, other records broken included:
• City, state and county taxes paid
• Hotel, Motel and restaurant taxes collected by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau and North Little Rock Advertising and Promotion
• Arena Operating Surplus
The arena paid more taxes in March than it ever has before – $380,613 in state taxes, $135,328 to North Little Rock and $61,545 in county taxes for a new record-breaking total of $577,486. In addition, Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau collections set a new monthly record at $806,722, the North Little Rock Advertising and Promotion collections exceeded $400,000 for the first time in one month and the arena enjoyed an all-time operating revenue surplus high of $497,000.