- Pinellas Commissioner Ken Welch: "There’s no rush to spend that penny,” regarding available bed tax money that could go toward a Rays and/or Braves stadium. I reminded readers last week that contrary to a Times editorial, "there is no law requiring Pinellas County to spend the bed taxes it collects. A wiser choice might be to save those revenues for a few years." So it was nice to see Welch echo the sentiment.
For those of you chomping at the bit for Stadium Saga developments:
- MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred: "What's new is that Mr. Sternberg remains committed to the idea that he'd like to get something done in that region. He's continuing to work to create enough flexibility to get something done."
- Jaguars Owner Shad Khan: The billionaire, already seeking tax money from the state of Florida, wants the city of Jacksonville to help him build an amphitheater that will cannibalize concerts and events from other parts of the city. Because why share profits from big events with the taxpayers when you can just keep them to yourself?
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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred: "What's new is that Mr. Sternberg remains committed to the idea that he'd like to get something done in that region. He's continuing to work to create enough flexibility to get something done."
ReplyDeleteThe intriguing word here is "New". Does that mean Sternberg was not committed before?
"why share profits from big events with the taxpayers"?
ReplyDeleteThe real question is why should an owner of a team spend $45 mil. of his own money on stuff that the city will own! Yes, he'll get to keep ticket sells, but he has to pay for opt. cost, and the city gets surplus tax, revenue from what the amp draws to the city, get to use it them selves, and again, they own it! Plus, they get Khan to pay for upgrades to the city's stadium with the deal as well.
Now (NO'ah), how would you like it if Stu paid half of the cost of a house that YOU will own, if you just let Stu stay there, he'll pay the utility cost, but wants to use the garage for weekend yard sales & you get a % of tax from his sells. Congrats, on your new 1/2 priced house!
I have family there, spend time up there, so I read about Jax, and most people feel (Khan) is the one getting taking advantage of...
Local ownership is kind of a farce since it is merely a paperwork mechanism to keep the teams from paying taxes. Frequenly, the team controls what happens inside and keeps the profits from inside....and when they vacate, the building has little value. What's the benefit to the municipality owning the building?
Deletehttp://jacksonville.com/opinion/ron-littlepage/2015-11-10/story/ron-littlepage-everbank-field-proposal-would-be-winner
DeleteGood article Anonymous...
DeleteNice "spin job" NO'ah on your post about it...
ReplyDeleteHi B. Dufala,
ReplyDeleteYou state:
"Now (NO'ah), how would you like it if Stu paid half of the cost of a house that YOU will own,"
How about Stu/MLB pays for 100% of the stadium. Then he owns it and life is good for everybody!
Newsflash Scott & Annoy, cities doesn't want someone else to own a stadium on their land for many reasons...
DeleteThen the city would have to pay the team owner to use the stadium...
DeleteNewsflash B. Dufala, the city can sell the land to the team owner or the team owner can build on private land.
DeleteWho owns the "land" is irrelevant, I meant in THEIR city. Remember, no one really owns land in the US, they lease it from the government for a fee...
DeleteIt doesn't take a genius understand why the cities want control over stadiums in their city. The same reason why you wouldn't let me buy a piece of YOUR property, and build a pay-to-play playground on it...
The same reasons there isn't private owners of city convention centers...
DeleteBottomline is cities build stadiums to attract people, and make money! Occupying stadiums with sports team is just part of it!
DeleteThe government isn't as stupid as people think they are, it's people that's stupid, not all, but most...
DeleteIf stadiums weren't progressive financially, they WOULDN'T fight for sports teams...
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DeleteMaybe "stupid" was too strong of a word to use, maybe more like naive, "naive" like a lot of this blogs posters & followers...
Delete"Naive" because they believe everything they read on this blog, and nothing more, including whats reported in the news or what people tell'em. Like the "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq, everyone believed it because that's what was "reported" by even more "naive" reporters kind of like NO'ah, though it was financial interest groups that wanted us into Iraq for their benefit...
Dufala, your incoherent and incorrect ramblings leave me speechless.
DeleteOpen your eyes to my comments, you might learn something other then the say no, nothing works stuff posted by NO'ah...
DeleteDufala, your rich experience in economics and running municipalities has versed you well in speaking like an expert on these topics.
DeleteWait, wha? You don't have experience in either???
PS - you don't see private owners of convention centers, which is why the governments can rent them out and profit off events there.
DeleteGovernments often don't collect rent from the sports teams in "their" buildings, and in cases like RayJay, they can't even profit much from outside events there.
Well, the difference is, I run a business in a very competitive market, you just write about them...
DeleteBottom line is stadiums brings positive revenue for communities...
Hi B. Dufala,
DeleteWhat stadiums do you have in mind, and please show me the numbers.
Thanks.
Well, for starters here's some ballparks that spawned economic growth for cities... Followed by a "that's not true" because it defies these bloggers beliefs...
DeleteNats Park - http://cnsmaryland.org/2015/04/03/nationals-park-spurs-neighborhoods-growth/
AT&T Park - http://www.mercurynews.com/giantsheadlines/ci_6326258
Busch Stadium - http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/realestate/commercial/st-louis-development-plays-off-busch-stadium.html?_r=0
Coors Field -http://www.citylab.com/work/2012/03/how-build-successful-downtown-stadium/1593/
- http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/print-edition/2015/03/27/20-years-later-coors-field-is-still-a-winner-for.html
Fenway Park - http://boston.curbed.com/archives/2015/04/mapping-the-construction-around-fenway-park-on-opening-day.php
Petco Park - http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/san-diego-padres-petco-park-catalyst-urban-redevelopment
Target Field - http://www.startribune.com/the-pohlad-family-owners-of-the-minnesota-twins-is-building-up-around-target-field/321914651/
- http://populous.com/posts/target-field-revitalizing-downtown-minneapolis-with-baseball-transit/
NYC teams - http://commercialobserver.com/2014/05/home-field-advantage-the-impact-of-yankee-stadium-and-citi-field/
Here's one for Rays fans...
Deletehttps://rootforthehometeam.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/montgomery-a-case-study-of-growth-through-baseball/
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2014/08/31/momentum-builds-in-montgomery/14820277/
Hoping to get down to Montgomery next year for Rays night, which includes a Chris Archer bobblehead. Obviously tourists don't account for the majority of the Biscuits' regular attendance, but I know that I wouldn't be visiting either Atlanta or Montgomery next year if there wasn't a team.
DeleteLet the owners of the team own the stadium. They don't want that though. Why do you think that is? ;)
ReplyDeleteI think dufey said something about gubmint fees for the land owners. wall street shysters don't want no gubmint fees.
DeleteWhen the unethical meet the unintelligent, hilarity ensues. Hi, can I have your money? Yes, you can have my money. [20 years later] Hi, can I have more money? Yes, you can have more money. A foolish institution and its money are soon parted.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, guess who's in Boca Raton at the GM meetings taking pictures with MLB Execs?
ReplyDeleteWarren Cromartie from Montreal Baseball Project with an Expos cap!
"Here's Cro with Joe Torre (Exec.VP, Baseball Operations) at the Major League Baseball General Managers' meeting today in Boca Raton!"
https://www.facebook.com/mtlbaseballproject/photos/a.392301160852465.93999.367688036647111/940322126050363/?type=3&fref=nf
Go Cro!
DeleteThe best thing I read this week:
ReplyDeleteThe night Pedro Martinez and Denis Coderre did shots
http://cultmontreal.com/2015/11/expos-jonah-keri/
“I have had meetings with people who represent people who are interested and have money,” Keri says. “There are real parties involved interested in getting something off the ground and putting resources forward in making a real run at it.”
He continues: “It’s more meeting with the intermediaries for those people, but without me having the ability to name names, there are real forces at work. It’s not imminent, but the reason it’s not imminent is not because of lack of interest — it’s Major League Baseball’s decision now. There either has to be a path through relocation or a path through expansion, and if it isn’t happening now then people have to wait.”
Among those waiting impatiently is Mayor and vocal baseball supporter Denis Coderre. He recently penned a letter with noted wealthy person Stephen Bronfman touting the city as a prime location for a future team, which was sent to the 30 current Major League clubs.
So again, expansion is slowed, because the future of the Rays' new stadium remains in doubt. Yes, you could throw the A's in there too, but I think MLB would be happy to expand again as long as at least one of the Tampa Bay/Oakland stadium situations is resolved. And expansion makes more sense as opposed to relocation, as they would be adding two new markets, plus expansion fees, all the while keeping their lucrative Tampa Bay TV market, which as we all know is the only thing that indicates folks in the region give a crap about the team.
DeleteSo it's a stalemate for now is what you are saying?
ReplyDeleteGeesh, wish they would settle this thing already.
ReplyDeleteNO'ah, with the Rays set to play in Havana, you can crank up the "Rays to Cuba" machine as well! lol
ReplyDeleteWe now have a bunch of Canadians ranting about moving to Montreal, now we'll have the Cubans to debate...
Oh, wait, do they even have access to the interent? Seriously, do they?
Median income in Cuba is $20 bucks a month. I'm sure this will make for a very exciting debate :P
DeleteAgreed!
DeleteThe headline says the "2" best things I read this weekend, and listed 3.
ReplyDelete