There are naming rights and there are naming not-so-rights.
![cartoon by Brent Brown](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/MXCARTOONBB398WEB-480x208.jpg)
There are naming rights and there are naming not-so-rights.
Asheville City Council voted unanimously Oct. 28 to sell the naming rights of an outdoor public space in the heart of downtown to the North Carolina State Employee’s Credit Union Foundation. Council also considered problems at the Asheville Police Department, heard an update from Duke Energy, and appointed three members to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Asheville Art Museum is seeking approval from Asheville City Council to sell the naming rights of its outdoor plaza in the heart of downtown to the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation.
At the close of business yesterday, no other company had submitted an upset bid to the city of Asheville, so the Asheville Civic Center will now be named the U.S. Cellular Center. The sale of the center’s naming rights, confirmed in a Nov. 22 City Council vote, was a controversial step.
This report by city staff provides a comparison of what cities are charging for naming rights to their arenas. City Council is scheduled to vote Nov. 22 on whether to rename the Civic Center the U.S. Cellular Center. The Charlotte arena, pictured above, was renamed the Bojangles’ Coliseum in 2008 for $1.25 million over 10 years.