The Arena at Southlake is hosting concerts, graduations and community events. Its operator, TRP NOW, says approximately 80,000 people have attended events since February and that revenue is tracking its first-year projections.
Those are encouraging claims. Before the Clayton County Board of Education decides whether its agreement with TRP should continue, residents should be able to see the records behind them: what the school system paid, what the arena earned, what it cost to operate and what Clayton County received in return.
The arena belongs to Clayton County Public Schools. Under a management agreement effective February 7, 2026, the Board contracted directly with The Right Productions, Inc. d/b/a TRP NOW, Inc. to operate it. TRP’s responsibilities include event scheduling, staffing, marketing, concessions, sponsorships and other day-to-day operations.
The agreement involves substantial public resources. It sets out an initial operating budget of approximately $4.25 million, provides for three $1 million operating advances, and includes management compensation, a possible sponsorship commission and a division of net profits. Those terms explain what the contract allows. They do not show what has actually been paid, spent or earned.
What TRP reports
In an operator update provided to We Are Clayton Magazine, TRP says it has remained within its contracted budget while building the staff, systems and marketing tools needed to run the venue. The update says the building remained an active construction site for much of its first six months.
TRP lists preopening sporting events, an April 22 grand opening, a May 1 Floetry concert, graduations, community events and Rod Wave tour rehearsals. It identifies additional concerts planned for later this year.
The operator also says CCPS staff collected food and beverage sales during preopening events, so those receipts do not appear in TRP’s statements. According to the update, TRP reported $80,915 in food and beverage revenue in its May financial statement to CCPS.
The update describes a busy venue. Monthly financial statements, CCPS collection records, event settlements and attendance reports would show how that activity translates into financial results.
How the operating plan changed
The direct TRP contract followed an earlier plan centered on the Clayton County Public Schools Foundation.
A Board–Foundation memorandum of understanding contemplated the Foundation handling day-to-day arena operations and recommending a management company for the superintendent’s review and approval. It also contemplated a 10-year lease, $2 million in General Fund support and the Foundation retaining 15% of gross event revenue.
The agreement now governing arena operations is directly between the Board and TRP. The records examined so far do not fully explain how the earlier arrangement was concluded or replaced, whether the contemplated lease was executed, or how its proposed financial terms were handled. The public should be able to follow that decision-making trail.
What should be available before a decision
The TRP agreement’s initial term runs through December 31, 2026. Its 90-day nonrenewal provision makes the coming weeks consequential. The Board should make clear what action, if any, it plans to take and what information members will use to reach a decision.
That information should include the operating advances and management fees actually paid; revenue collected by TRP and directly by CCPS; event expenses and settlements; sponsorship income; and the arena’s net financial results. It should also show what residents were promised and what has been delivered in jobs, local business participation, student opportunities and revenue returned to the school system.
TRP reports progress, and the arena’s calendar shows activity. Both deserve to be considered. So do the costs and the documented benefits.
The Arena at Southlake belongs to the school system. Before decisions are made about its management, Clayton County residents deserve a financial picture they can examine for themselves.