Wed 1 Jul 2009
The Gargoyle has a great live show about the Event Center
Posted by l3wis under Event Center
[12] Comments
I guess I was guest host of the show today (SCOTT). It was actually
a good opinion panel about the Event Center. Worth watching.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Was my rant mentioned?
July 1st, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Yeah, except between this one and the last one they have decided a downtown ballpark would be cool, it’s just that we’ve just built and upgraded one of those, stuoche bag.
The part where he’s fumbling around building stuff around is when he read, but didn’t repeat my question and then basically mumbled my point back..I asked about collateral developement as part of the payback and must’ve confused him, Gary would’ve been interesting to hear about it though.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 am
Scott? What name did you post under?
Yeah, Sy, I thought the baseball park discussion was stupid. Canaries stadium is very nice and we have spent millions on it, why would we tear it down?
I did like Gary’s idea on just taxing hotel rooms, but I also think an entertainment tax would be wise to. I think most people who go out to eat, do buy tickets to concerts and sporting events.
I also liked that Gary brought up the Pepsi Center and how building it next to the interstate was a bad idea, because visitors just get in their cars and leave after an event instead of sticking around and having a bite or a drink. One more reason DT makes sense.
Is anyone on the task force paying attention? I hope they all watched that video.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:14 am
A line that is being repeated often these days is “you don’t build a church for easter Sunday”.
That’s true, but you also don’t try to put all your Easter eggs in one basket either. In the Business Journal they had a piece where they point to the consultant recommending we need 175K sf on the same level to compete for regional conventions. The freakin’ Fargodome is only 125K sf. I think the CC, which was downsized three times, comes in around 60K sf and if you open the Arena up you’d add another 10K.
So what the TF will recommend is to build a big concrete box on the back after they tear down HWF. Which might add another 50-70K sf. A new HWF will cost at least $20 million and the School Board will not pay a dime over the $5 mil they committed to renovate it.
When we are all said and done, you’ll have those periods when a game or two, home/boat show, and a concert going and when that elusive 10K person convention wants to come to town and use the whole place, we will have to tell them “no,thanks”. If we can tell them “yes” we’ve seen what happens, 40% will have to stay in Sioux City or Brookings.
At best you’d see 200 new hotel rooms come in out there by the Arena, you build downtown you’d see 3x as many go in, plus a bunch of new retail, dining & entertainment to go with it.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:39 am
Someone needs to disengage the Task Force before it is too late and this thing is doomed in the ballot box.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
We really don’t need Howard Wood anymore, though. I drive past Augie’s new field everyday, and there’s no reason why the high schools couldn’t rent that out. If there’s a scheduling conflict, USF’s stadium could be used.
And I didn’t mean that I was part of the chat. I just wondered if Gary had heard or seen my comments regarding Stu’s article.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I ownder how many people in the Howard Wood neighborhood are going to want a concrete parking lot in their area. I think is would be a good idea for the people that keep talking about this to take a petition into that neighborhood asking the question would you be in favor of having a concrete parking lot in your neighborhood.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Sorry, but I don’t think that the School Board will want to spend money on renting out USF’s or Augies Stadium when they can just use their own stadium without renting or spending any money.
And would it really SURPRISE you if the city Gods would tear down the Canaries stadium and build a brand spanking new stadium Downtown along with a new Events Center, making the whole thing cost over 200 Million? It wouldn’t surprise me, but it will never happen on the tax payers watch.
The city’s sense is this, and I hope you understand what Im going to say: How they think of things is the same way Wife’s of Millionaires think of things. They dont BUY a Lamborghini to go shopping in because of how much it costs, they honestly dont care. They BUY a Lamborghini because then they will be known around the neighborhood for HAVING taht Lamborghini. Same thing with the City Gods and the Task Force. They don’t care how much it is, or how much they can get back from it, they would just rather build it for as much as possible, then go out and slap Sioux City and Fargo in the face by saying “Look at us, we have a brand new arena thats much nicer and newer than yours!”.
July 6th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Carter-
I agree with your last statement, I have often said it is the same reason men with small dicks buy Harley’s and Hummers.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
L3wis-
So True… I wonder how many Task Force Members own motorcycles…
July 8th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
LOL – one of them owns quite a few motorcycles, Jim Enteman, owner of J & L Harley-Davidson
July 8th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Hahahahahaha….