Dollar Loan Center cashes out of Henderson arena, new name revealed

The Dollar Loan Center arena’s name is being changed to Lee’s Family Forum just two years after it opened in Henderson.

The new name comes as Foley Entertainment Group, owned by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, signed a multiyear extension of partnership with the Lee family and their business Lee’s Discount Liquor.

Founded by the Lees in Las Vegas in 1981, the company operates the largest liquor store chain in Nevada.

“This is a wonderful tribute to the Lee family and the lasting impact they continue to have across the Las Vegas Valley,” Kerry Bubolz, Foley Entertainment Group president and CEO said in a statement. “Family is at the heart of what we offer at Lee’s Family Forum, so it’s a fitting celebration of a family we have been fortunate to know and work alongside for years.”

Crews were on site Tuesday updating the main signage on the building itself and on the marquee of the $84 million arena, which opened in March 2022. Smaller wayfinding signs in around the arena already were updated to reflect the Lee’s Family Forum name.

The arena’s website removed the majority of Dollar Loan Center mentions and added Lee’s Family Forum logos. The arena’s social media accounts were changed to reflect the Lee’s Family Forum name.

Nami Lee, CEO of Lee’s Discount Liquor, said they chose the name to honor Lee’s founder Hae Un Lee, who died in 2021, and his late son Kenny Lee, who was killed in a car crash the same year. A visual history of the Lee family and their business will be featured in the arena.

“On the personal level, we’re naming this arena as a gift to our beloved Kenny and Mr. Lee, because they are no longer with us, but we want to continue honoring their legacies and remembering them,” Nami Lee said in a statement. “We also want this arena to be a gift to the families in the Henderson community, where our family-owned company is headquartered, for many years to come.”

As part of the partnership with the Foley Entertainment Group, Lee’s Discount Liquors will host the annual beverage tasting events at the Lee’s Family Forum. Those events will benefit Lee’s Helping Hands nonprofit organization. Discounted tickets to events at the arena will be available in all 19 of the family’s Southern Nevada locations.

Opened in March 2022, the 6,000-fan capacity arena is home to the Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, the Indoor Football Leagues’ Vegas Knight Hawks, and the Vegas Thrill Pro Volleyball Federation team. The arena also hosted the NBA G League Ignite team for two seasons until last month, after the NBA decided to end the program.

Lee’s Family Forum, on the southwest corner of Green Valley and Paseo Verde parkways, includes 28 suites, 167 club seats and 92 loge seats. The facility also houses the Craggy Range Sports Bar & Grill restaurant, which is located on the building’s west-facing side. The Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame is also inside the arena.

The facility was built by a partnership of Henderson and the Golden Knights organization. Henderson put $42 million in public funding toward the project. The Knights organization is tasked with operating the 200,000-square-foot arena.

“In Henderson, we treat each other like family so it is a perfect fit to welcome the Lee family into our fold,” Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero said in a statement. “Our residents enjoy the diverse and growing sports and entertainment options at Lee’s Family Forum and we look forward to our continued partnership with the Foley Entertainment Group and the Golden Knights organization.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.