Rendering of the new Frontwave Arena. (Photo: Frontwave CU)
A 170,000-square-foot arena under construction in Oceanside, Calif., about 40 miles north of San Diego, will display the name of a local credit union as a result of a new naming rights deal.
The $1.2 billion, Oceanside-based Frontwave Credit Union signed a 10-year naming rights agreement with Oside Arena Management in Carlsbad, Calif., according to a Tuesday announcement from Frontwave – a natural fit given that Frontwave became the official credit union of the San Diego Sockers last December, and the new venue is set to become the host arena for the professional soccer team. Financial terms of the agreement were not publicly disclosed.
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Frontwave Arena, currently being built in the El Corazón sports complex area near Oceanside Boulevard and Rancho del Oro Drive in Oceanside, is expected to open in late summer or fall 2023 and will hold more than 6,000 fans for sporting events and up to 7,600 attendees for concerts, Frontwave said. It will also be home to a full-service restaurant, bars and concessions, a plaza area and 16 luxury suites, the credit union said.
"As the official credit union of the San Diego Sockers, we're thrilled to have secured the exclusive naming rights to their new Oceanside home," Frontwave President/CEO Bill Birnie stated. "Frontwave has been serving the Oceanside community for 70 years, and we're proud to be a key partner in this exciting project that will benefit the entire North County region. The Frontwave Arena will not only serve as a community gathering space, but also as an important economic driver for the area."
In addition to hosting Sockers games and concerts, Frontwave Arena will be the setting for high school and college sporting events and community events, and may also welcome other sports tenants, Frontwave said.
"We're dreaming big with the creation of a state-of-the-art entertainment complex in Oceanside, and we've got a naming rights partner that dreams big as well," Oside Arena Management President Sean Bowers stated. "We couldn't be happier to partner with Frontwave Credit Union, an organization we have worked with closely in recent seasons with the San Diego Sockers. Together, we look to change the face of entertainment in San Diego's North County."
Oside Arena Management partnered with San Diego real estate development company Sudberry Properties, Carlsbad general contracting company Watkins Landmark Construction and the Grand Forks, N.D.-based Icon Architectural Group to make dreams of the new arena a reality, according to the announcement.
"We see Frontwave Arena becoming a hub of activity for North County, the likes of which we have never seen before," Bowers added. "This region deserves a place for the community to come together and experience entertainment and sports in a state-of-the-art building. Our goal is to be that place for decades to come."
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
