Wednesday, July 13, 2016

"The Worst Sports Stadium Deal Ever"

If the Braves' super-secret not-so-great, potentially-illegal deal wasn't bad enough, VICE Sports suggests the Braves' boondoggle may actually be "the worst sports stadium deal ever" after baseball park funding - which was not approved by voters - basically prohibited the county from spending a planned $40 million on actual parks, which was approved by voters. Oh, and about a million other things regarding hidden costs and an unforgivable lack of transparency. Never forget: Cobb Co. commissioners did everything in their power to avoid letting the public know what they were doing. Hey Tampa Bay voters, you paying attention? Because it's dangerously close to happening here too.

And if the whole "traffic sucks in Atlanta, but lets build a new stadium in the middle of the worst part, while not accounting for any new transit" thing wasn't bad enough in Atlanta, the Braves are working on running game-day traffic through suburban residential streets...which of course, isn't going over well.

Nor is the public concession from Cobb Co. that prohibits owners of private parking lots near the stadium from operating on game days?!?!

Or that private concessionaires won't allowed anywhere near the stadium, either!

Again, I ask: Tampa Bay stadium planners - you paying attention?

UPDATE: Cobb Co. appears to be backing off the ridiculous parking ban (but don't hold your breath on the concessions)




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9 comments:

  1. Daily PlungeJuly 13, 2016 at 4:54 PM

    It's not even the worst stadium deal in Atlanta. The new Falcons stadium is going to cost taxpayers more in the long run.

    Also, there's nothing illegal about how the Braves park was approved.

    The new Braves park is certainly a waste of taxpayer money, but most of this stuff is hyperbole.

    P.S. The private parking thing has been amended.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Noah PranskyJuly 13, 2016 at 7:32 PM

      Thx.
      But the possibly illegal part has to do with how commissioners violated the spirit (and potentially the letter) of the state's open meetings/records laws.

      Delete
  2. scott myersJuly 14, 2016 at 7:34 AM

    Noah, your warnings are duly noted. My 'ol buddy' Ken Hagan no longer responds to my 'friendly' emails.

    ReplyDelete
  3. scott myersJuly 14, 2016 at 7:41 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJuly 14, 2016 at 4:06 PM

    The self-proclaimed "watchdog" continues to copycat, (http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2016/06/09/11206/braves-stadium-deal-may-not-be-worst-ever-but-thats-grading-on-a-pretty-steep-curve/), which actually reads "not be worst"...
    Here's some "copycat" rebuttal reads...
    • http://saportareport.com/impact-study-atlanta-braves-a-100-million-home-run-for-economy/
    • http://cobbhomeofthebraves.com/fact-vs-fiction/
    • http://www.ibtimes.com/atlanta-braves-move-cobb-county-about-race-not-transportation-1470814

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 17, 2016 at 12:03 PM

    The folks in Pinellas never had any chance to vote on that publicly supported monstrosity in downtown St. Pete!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousJuly 17, 2016 at 2:45 PM

      The Trop was the only thing drawing people downtown for years, maybe thank it instead.

      Delete
    2. Noah PranskyJuly 17, 2016 at 7:27 PM

      Odds are, there won't be a vote on a new Rays stadium either.

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJuly 18, 2016 at 2:24 AM

    But it hasn't drawn well for years.

    ReplyDelete

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