The City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce paid $215,000 last Sept. for a feasability study for capital improvements including the construction of a soccer specific stadium and the viability of an MLS team in Tulsa. Of the amount paid to Dallas-based Conventions, Sports & Leisure (a group Lamar Hunt recommended that has done similar studies in Winston-Salem, etc.), half was earmarked specifically for the soccer portion of the study. Quotes are from 2/15/03 Tulsa World... www.tulsaworld.com can access the article "Study: Build big-time" by staff reporter Curtis Killman for a fee. Here are portions of the above article: The study recommended: * Construction of a new arena with a seating for 14- to 18,000 persons * Construction of a new AA baseball park with a seating of 13,500 people. * Construction of a 22,000 seat soccer stadium. * Construction of a 7,500 seat ampitheatre. * Renovation of existing Maxwell Convention Center... "...consideration of capital improvements package totalling $450 million that could go before county voters as soon as June 10." "Possible sources of funding include a county-wide 1/4-cent sales tax for up to 30 years... (and other) private and public sources." "The study determined a demand existed for another 20 soccer fields in the Tulsa area. Building a soccer arena adjacent to a 20-field complex was recommended as an option by the study." "All of the projects, with the exception of the soccer stadium, were recommended to be located downtown. The soccer stadium could be built downtown if leaders opt to not build additional fields adjacent to the stadium." "(CSL's Bill) Rhoda said renovating Skelly Stadium (40K capacity college stadium similar in age to SJ's Spartan Stadium), which has been discussed as a home for a possible soccer franchise, may prove difficult. The stadium has a larger seating capacity than what MLS officials are recommending for expansion clubs. Another article from 2/21 quotes Broken Arrow Mayor Jim Reynolds' interest in the county's Dialog/Visioning 2025 which was broadcast on a local TV newscast this past Wed.: "A 17- 20,000 seat sports/entertainment arena if proposed for Broken Arrow or south Tulsa and would be paid for by bonds, sales taxes and private or corporate funding."
This is very encouraging news, now only if some owner/investor/operators would show up start pushing and shoving to be first.... When is this project suppposed to begin if approved?
Here's more "soccer-specific" results from the above mentioned 2/15 Tulsa World article: "A telephone survey determined 11 percent of the corporate leaders contacted would be interested in private suites costing as much as $35,000 per year... A lack of corporate suites in Tulsa facilities, coupled with current economic conditions, could contribute to a lack of understanding about the value of the suites, Bill Rhoda (of Convention Sports & Leisure Int'l.) said." "The survey determined the city could be expected to average 14,630 people at soccer games if no other sports facility is constructed. Of that number, about 6,114 would be season ticket holders." "MLS offficials have said they would like to see a minimum of 7,500 season ticket holders as a condition of awarding a franchise." "Rhoda said the 6,114 season-ticket figure estimate was achieved through a telephone survey without benefit of any marketing." "'If attendance dropped below 10,000, it could be a "losing proposition,' Rhoda said, referring to the soccer franchise.'"
Sorry, but it did happen and is happening... If there were no investors, the mayor would be a total idiot to even propose a soccer stadium. These investors do not want to be identified until the stadium plan goes through... Back in Aug., Lamar Hunt met with a group of potential investors, informing them how single-entity worked, etc... Mayor LaFortune has stuck his neck out on this one and his campaign for mayor was based on his ability to get things done in the business community.
Local investors are not yet identifying themselves. Please read the Tulsa Expansion/Exhibition thread for the more info. The proposals will come together this spring for presentation to the voters this summer... the reason these guys will act quickly on this is due to the competing proposals from OKC/Edmond.
If there are potential investors, are they going to reveal themselves right before the vote? Would Tulsa residents vote for a stadium (along with everything else) if they don't know for a fact that there would be investors and a MLS team or if there are investors, their quality and commitment? Tulsans aren't exactly the most fond people of taxation and on top of that, the thought of the unknown is always a bit scary.
I'd have to agree with you. However, with Tulsans visiting the ballpark, riverwalk and the Ford Center to see how OKC has basically left them in the dust, these proposals may have a chance. I seriously doubt a soccer stadium bond would pass without a majority of funds coming from private sources. I also doubt that an up-down vote for just the stadium will pass. Many Tulsans are skeptical of using public money for anything to spruce up downtown. I think what you're going to see is a bond issue that will be the first phase of what's been termed the "Dialog/Visioning 2025" process. Expect a few projects from the above list (7500 seat ampitheatre, renovation/replacement of the downtown convention center, Tulsa "race riot" museum/memorial and/or Okla. jazz hall of fame, along with the 22,000-seat soccer stadium). Unlike previous proposals (mid-90s downtown-only projects that involved track & field and aquatics facilities) that have been shot down in the last couple of decades, this one probably will have something for just about everyone. Downtown improvements, a project for the north Tulsa/Greenwood area, possible projects in the Expo Square area and south Tulsa/Broken Arrow areas... I'm sure the mayor will tout any public/private partnership aspects. I assume there would be a number of corporate donors that will be publicly linked to the construction of the stadium. A handful of them may eventually be the ones who step forward as O/I's for a locally owned team. MLS may know who the parties are, but I suspect they won't publicly identify them unless the city gets a team. To get a feel for the process, click the Mayor's Vision Summit link from: www.tulsanow.org The summit happened before Lamar Hunt and MLS came to town selling the idea of a team in Tulsa.
Like most broadway musicals, this one's just a revival of a previous production... I think former-NASL commish Phil Woosnam played "Harold Hill" the last time a soccer team came to town. But seriously, there are going to be plenty of Tulsans who will question the wisdom of building a stadium specifically for an MLS team. They'll point to an NASL that basically disintigrated right in front of them after local owners spent millions on the Roughnecks. They'll point to a team in Dallas that will play at a high school stadium this year and a San Jose team that plays in a similar stadium to what we already have in Tulsa (San Jose State and the Univ of Tulsa both play in the Western Athl. Conference). After getting the grand tour at Crew Stadium, it looks like Tulsa's mayor is sold on the idea of SSS. Now, he has to sell the city/county on it.