Stadiums Rumors...

[Scottt1115]

I can say that of the money that I recently forked out on 3 sets of season tickets, not a penny would have gone to the Jazz.

That goes for me and my family. $0 of that money would have gone to the Jazz

[swedcrip34]

any pics or renderings of the future stadium?

is it going to be unorginial like the frisco and rapids stadiums or as nice as the bridgeview one..

any pics/renderings now would be very preliminary. Until the funding is secured, RSL won't pay to have anyone do a real design. Colorado doesn't have a design yet. Chicago released theirs about a month before breaking ground.

[Czar Pazzo]

True, and here is a very preliminary drawing of the stadium at the Salt Lake City site:

http://media.bonnint.net/ksl/1/150/15029.jpg

[marsz-marsz]

That goes for me and my family. $0 of that money would have gone to the Jazz

I think there is a larger point. The Jazz have never received a penny from me, and RSL will get a grundle. But the money RSL gets is money that the theaters, restaraunts, and cineplexes will no longer get. Like most people, I have limited entertainment funds. If I don't spend them on RSL, I'll spend them elsewhere.

The point they tried (and failed) to make is that something like a stadium doesn't necessarily bring in new money. It just moves it elsewhere. A dollar spent on a game is a dollar no longer spent somewhere else (Jazz, Movie, play, dinner etc.). There are of course exceptions, but most people don't increase their entertainment budget just because of a new option.

That said, it may still be a net positive for the county since they will be getting money that I would have otherwise spent in Utah county. The question is, are there enough extra-county funds to justify the 30+ million dollar tax burden.

[jasoncox]

most people don't increase their entertainment budget just because of a new option.

If only that were true in my case... My poor kids aren't going to get new shoes for a LONG time. :D

[nyrmetros]

I was wondering how long it would take Field of Schemes to discover Real Salt Lake. All they could do is link to the Trib's story. They are not doing a good research job.

lol
great webpage :)

[Bob Morocco]

its amazing how these 2 cities are fighting over a sss, i never thought i would see the day that would happen, especially when rsl hasnt even played a game.

Chicago had 5, not to brag or anything.

[aosthed]

Chicago had 5, not to brag or anything.

In fairness... they did play for a few seasons and get some hardware first - RSL has yet to play a game or field a squad... ;)

RSL began with at least 4 - Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Murray, and Sandy... (there may have been another)

[canammj]

How close is the downtown site to the Amtrak station? I believe I read somewhere, that a transit center with Greyhound, Amtrak, the Trax light rail are all going to come into the center and then, which I believe could really tie-in well, commuter train service which is going to run from Provo on the south, through SLC up to Ogden, or possibly further north.. Thus, fans could make a day trip into SLC, go to the game and other downtown sites.. Could be a great joint marketing idea. Other than Harrison, and DCU with its subway, not many other SSS could claim great tranist/train access.. I vote for the downtown site.

[bsucio9]

Chicago had 5, not to brag or anything.
Yes, but I'm pretty sure Billings wasn't one of them.:p

[Sempuukyaku]

Yes, but I'm pretty sure Billings wasn't one of them.:p

Hahaha! As a RSL supporter I'm unfortunately going to have to consider you the enemy...but dammit that's too deserving of rep to pass up! :D

[swedcrip34]

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2533772

someone needs to put in a call to Bridgeview, IL; Commerce City, CO; Frisco, TX and warn them all the league might fold

<2 million payrolls per team, billionaire owners. how will i get to sleep

actually, 5 minutes from now I'll be snoring

I'll have to learn more about how Utah politics works. Only Commerce City of the list above required a vote IIRC.

Are MLS teams really asking for public funding or financing? I figured there may some tax breaks involved, but otherwise that stadium revenues would eventually be responsible for covering much of the bonds. I think that's something lost to many who debate this.

[bsucio9]

But County Councilman Mark Crockett questions using tax money for a sports venue - at any time...

"If Miami and Tampa can't make soccer work with their huge Latino populations, I really doubt Salt Lake can make it work."



What at terribly ethnocentric thing to say.

Hey guys, I'm not hispanic, I don't think I like soccer anymore. We'll see you later. :rolleyes:

I know that's not entirely what he meant, but it was still a fairly ignorant statement.

[swedcrip34]

What at terribly ethnocentric thing to say.

Hey guys, I'm not hispanic, I don't think I like soccer anymore. We'll see you later. :rolleyes:

I know that's not entirely what he meant, but it was still a fairly ignorant statement.

plus neither had a committed owner like Checketts (Horowitz apparently did NOT have deep pockets) or great stadium situations.

Tampa is really not that Hispanic. Probably not that different from SLC. I doubt the migrant workers in the east here were going to pay $20 for MLS when MFL games are on TV here. I can't speak for Miami (though Cuba is a baseball/boxing country) and the team was not actually in Miami.

Who has better attendance Dallas or Columbus? Who has more Hispanics?

a LOT of education will be needed.

[nyrmetros]

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/001009.html

Salt Lake pols frown on soccer subsidies

The Salt Lake County Council doesn't sound exactly thrilled at the prospect of paying half the cost of a $60 million Real Salt Lake soccer stadium (http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/000999.html), with members almost uniformly telling the Salt Lake Tribune that they can't see spending $30 million (http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2533772) on the project:

Council Chairman Michael Jensen: "The likelihood of us holding a special election [for a soccer stadium] in November is zero."
Councilman Mark Crockett: "Relative to fixing Millcreek's water system for fires, open space on the Jordan River Parkway or expanding Meals on Wheels for the elderly, I find it hard to justify spending county money on a soccer-specific stadium. If Miami and Tampa can't make soccer work with their huge Latino populations, I really doubt Salt Lake can make it work." Councilwoman Jenny Wilson: "What's still unknown is if this is a priority to the people of Salt Lake County." Councilman Jim Bradley: "It's not realistic to expect Salt Lake County to step up to the table in the next year." (If Real Salt Lake proves popular over its next two years playing at the University of Utah's stadium, though, Bradley says "it could be a different story.") Councilman Randy Horiuchi: "I've always erred on the side of letting the public decide on critical capital facilities." Councilman Marv Hendrickson: "We have a lot of [other funding priorities] ahead of it. It's going to take a lot of salesmanship." Councilman David Wilde: "It's going to take some pretty persuasive arguing to get me to vote for it. In my heart, I feel it ought to be privately financed."

[SoccerPrime]

I like the comment from SL County councilman that says something like "RSL won't work in Utah since MLS couldn't make it in Latino-rich Tampa and Miami".
First off latinos in Florida are Puerto Rican and Cuban, not your average soccer mad latin people and Florida MLS failed because of ownership not attendance. Also, how do you compare Florida and Utah anyway???

It saddens me that these ppl could sink the RSL stadium.

[andythemick]

Yeah, but these are ALWAYS the people that are going to sink soccer stadium proposals, and anything else that won't lead directly to them being reelected. Don't worry, though, RSL already has a much better plan and foundation in place than DC United, San Jose, Kansas City or the Metrostars (I'll believe that one when I see it) ever have. Plus, Rice-Eccles isn't that bad of an alternative, and it will have the college student population to boost attendance early and late in the season.

I'm sure something will get worked out. After the end of the CBA argument, I'm pathetically optimistic about pretty much everything. =)

[NattyBo]

Wow. Guess the RSL stadium stuff isnt as much of a slam-dunk as MLS has lead us to beileve.

[aosthed]

I don't want to split hairs... but we shouldn't necessarily confuse the question of "Who's going to pay for it?" with "Is it going to be built?"

Checketts must get a stadium built to save/make his investment, he's just trying to figure out who's going to help him pay for it. Checketts has put HIS money into this team and he NEEDS it to succeed - he has no choice. He's going to be very committed and he also realizes that a SSS is critical for profitability and long-term success. Anyone who sits down at the MLS ownership table knows that each team must get its own stadium to make it.

This will be a game of posturing and gamesmanship and county councilmen are just being politicians - Checketts will need to make his rounds and get enough of them to put it in for a general vote...

How much better will it sound when some of these same councilmen come out with statements like, "... I've never taken spending tax money lightly but after reviewing the economic payback for Salt Lake county and the national exposure it will give to our great city and state, I think this is an issue we must let the voters decide..." All these numbnuts just need to seem like their not easy...

Then Checketts turns his attention to selling the public. Checketts is not a stupid man. They're already talking about televising locally AWAY games and some home games... This isn't minor league sports like the Grizzlies, Salt Ratz, Snowbears, etc... - MLS is the top league in the US and Salt Lake City's small guy complex will only make them want it to succeed even more.

Besides, the argument for funding a stadium is a much different issue than meals-on-wheels or paying teachers more or any other dole... SLC saw how much money it made off the Olympics and what a positive thing that was financially and in terms of publicity. While MLS won't be on the same scale, the quesiton is "How long does it take SL County to get payback on the $30million?"

Salt Lake will be one of the best markets for MLS in terms of fan support IF they can just deliver a competitive team (doesn't have to win it all, but needs to be at least in the middle because it gets hard to watch a "loser" - see difference in attendence for Jazz 2003/2004 vs. 2004/2005). The reason is there is little competition and Utahns are fiercely loyal and proud of their little state.

[Fuegofan]

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2533772

someone needs to put in a call to Bridgeview, IL; Commerce City, CO; Frisco, TX and warn them all the league might fold

<2 million payrolls per team, billionaire owners. how will i get to sleep

actually, 5 minutes from now I'll be snoring

I'll have to learn more about how Utah politics works. Only Commerce City of the list above required a vote IIRC.

Are MLS teams really asking for public funding or financing? I figured there may some tax breaks involved, but otherwise that stadium revenues would eventually be responsible for covering much of the bonds. I think that's something lost to many who debate this.

Actually I think all of them required a vote. It's all those stinking votes that is giving Metrostars such grief. Bridgeview definitely voted on it.

As for public funding/financing, yes, MLS teams really think they can command some money. Bridgeview, for example, was originally going to fund the stadium with free land plus $15 million cash (I think) and $15 million in bonds, with AEG kicking in $15 million in cash (I'm over somewhere because the original price tag was $55 or $60 million I think). Bridgeview is now picking up the whole thing.

Whoo. Gotta go. I'll finish later.