RAPID CITY - The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center board of directors approved a 10-year lease agreement with the new Central Hockey League franchise Thursday morning, a few hours before the team's new general manager and coach were introduced for the first time.

The contract automatically renews for an additional 10 years, though either side has a 90-day window in year 10 to not renew the lease.

Brian Maliske, civic center general manager, said the 10-year lease protects the city's $25 million investment in the new multi-purpose arena currently under construction on the south end of the building, and provides a level of comfort that the team is "here today, and they're going to be here tomorrow."

Maliske said the team also wanted a long-term lease.

"The CHL is committed to this community. When we were talking about the length of the contract we came to agreement very quickly. They did not ask for a one- or two-year commitment," he said.

The team will pay a base rent of $4,000 per game and is responsible for all game costs including labor, stagehands, security, ushers and ticket takers. The agreement includes an escalator clause that will increase the base rent in years 3 through 10, based on the consumer price index.

The team will play 32 regular-season home games, with potentially as many as 10 home playoff games and between two and four pre-season home games.

The team will also buy one of the facility's 12 skyboxes for $15,000 per year, plus pay $500 per game out of the rental fee. The base rent also includes office space in the civic center in the old Rapid City Thrillers office.

Maliske said the team will be allowed to sell advertising on the civic center's marquee, Zamboni and dasher boards for game days, and the civic center and team will share center-ice logo advertising. However, the civic center will retain all concession revenues.

Maliske said negotiations with the team and league went very well, and hockey is off to a good start.

"We did not agree on everything, but it never became personal, and it never became heated," he said. "You know, even when booking concerts, usually things get tense for awhile, and then it all settles down. It's just a normal course of business. That didn't happen with these guys."

The new arena is scheduled to be completed in December 2008. Planners hope to avoid home-game scheduling problems for the 2008-09 hockey season. The traditional CHL season runs from October to May, which includes playoffs. To accommodate the construction schedule, the team may have to start the season on the road.

The new arena will seat about 5,000 people for hockey games, 5,700 for basketball games and nearly 7,000 for concerts or other stage events.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com