UPDATE: I just heard that SMG did NOT ask the School District to move the game. SMG felt that the District decided on their own to move the game. Not sure if an official from the city pressured them or not?

I got an anonymous tip today that the City is asking the School District to re-schedule the football game (Roosevelt’s Homecoming) scheduled at Howard Wood on October 2nd.

The reason the City is making this request is that the existing parking at the Events Center/Howard Wood may not support both the Elton John concert and Roosevelt’s Homecoming football game.

I guess we will see if the School District caves on the request . . .

According to their calendar, the change has not been made yet.

oct-2015

Sometimes you read a Gargoyle Leader ED board editorial and you go, “Really? Nothing like stating the freaking obvious.”

But that is precisely what could happen if the Sioux Falls Sports Authority – and whoever else is behind the idea of building a $33 million stadium – persists in championing this ridiculously utopian version of a sports facility.

Ridiculous? More like completely irresponsible that any tax dollars were wasted on even exploring it.

Another thing: Anyone who thinks Sioux Falls residents would embrace the cost of such a monumental endeavor knows little about our nature.

Exactly. Voters have repeatedly, in recent years, turned down extravagant projects, especially when it involves raising taxes, that includes the Event Center proposal. But the AL is under the impression that we are all on board;

While most residents have made it clear that they think the time has come to build an events center that will serve our future needs,

And where did you pull that poll from? Your asses? I would think that it’s more like 50/50 and when you factor in taxing food more to build it I think those numbers would change even more. If you think a $33 million dollar Howard Wood or the airport saying it is a safety hazard is a deal breaker, you are nuts. A bad location, a piss-poor funding idea, and the lack of public involvement is dooming the new Events Center.

I have to be honest with you, I know I am a cynic, but I would like to see a new EC built, but I believe we can do it differently and we can do it by a taxing fairly (corporate entertainment, advertising and BBB taxes). It just shows how out of touch our supposed city and business leaders are with the rest of the general public.

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Here we go again, designing a facility that is too extravagant for Sioux Falls, and not having a way to pay for it. I think Kate Parker’s unemotional Spock stare says it all;

School board members say they don’t need a new Howard Wood, but they’ll be happy to build it to make room for a new city events center – as long as someone else pays for the upgrade.

And who is gonna pay for it? Mickey F’ing Mouse? Get a clue.

I also found this letter to the editor informative. I think Joe sat on one of the original Event Center taskforces? I have met Joe on a couple of occasions, he is very bright and intuitive, and considering he an urban planner, he just might know what he is talking about;

The events center task force deserves praise for having dedicated countless hours to public meetings and fostering a transparent process. But its current proposal – a new facility to be located adjacent to the Sioux Falls Convention Center – falls short as an economically sustainable venture, as experts recently have illustrated. Thus, it is imperative for the task force to rethink its proposal.

The proposal does not maximize the potential for economic development, which is the most significant criterion. Furthermore, the task force has assumed the proposed location can leverage the current Sioux Falls Arena and the convention space. This assumption is over-emphasized and problematic because it disregards current trends in the convention center industry.

There is a glut of convention floor space across the nation, which makes for cutthroat competition among cities trying to attract conventions. “Cities can no longer just build convention center space and expect to get their fair share of demand,” according to Hans Detlefsen, an industry expert. “There is not enough business to go around.”

Joe, I suggest you will have more luck banging your head against the wall instead of trying to convince the task force otherwise. It is no secret that Terri Ellis Schmidt (Head of CVB) has them in a chokehold and she is running the show.

Some Other Problems With The Current Proposal Are:

• Using a new events center for conventions thwarts efforts to attract concerts, as Omaha experienced.

• It is unwise to have multiple facilities at one location because simultaneous events will proliferate traffic congestion.

•  The convention center site significantly diminishes opportunities for patrons to bike, walk or take public transit to events. Furthermore, traffic studies indicate downtown as a suitable site.

You only list THREE PROBLEMS!? I could fill a newspaper.

If the task force cannot take the long view on this issue, then it would be better not to build a new events center rather than make a 50-year mistake.

That’s gotta burn.

It seems these upstanding members of our community can’t do simple math. Just read this Gargoyle Leader article about building a new stadium (that we do not need)

The Stats:

HOWARD WOOD

Seats: 10,000

Record crowd to date: 8,250

Upgrade costs: $6.4 million (already budgeted)

NEW STADIUM

Could seat:  15,000 – 25,000

Cost: $20-25 Million (this does not include Howard Wood demolition costs)

I guess I’m wondering why we need to build a new 25,000 seat stadium when we are not even close to capacity at Howard Wood? This is a back door attempt to build a new events center where the current Howard Wood is at.

First things first; 1) You need a funding source besides sales tax 2) you need to prove there is a NEED for the new EC. We cannot currently fill the Arena, the Orpheum, Howard Wood field or the Washington Pavilion as it is.

Like I have said before, table the EC idea for another 5-7 years unless you want to build it with private money, taxpayers are not interested in getting gouged more during this recession.

Once against the Sports Authority and Event Center puddknockers stuck their nose where it does not belong with the SF school district. If you guys want to pay my property taxes I’ll let you decide what is done with Howard Wood otherwise go back to kissing Munson’s butt, golfing, watching football or whatever you do in your free time.

The district has budgeted $6.48 million for improvements to the field in 2010, Alberty said.

As you can see the money was already budgeted to make improvements. So what’s the holdup?

A proposal to build an events center in Sioux Falls put the stadium’s future in question last year.

Why? The school board should only be taking advice and suggestions from a couple groups, property tax payers and parents, not men in slick suits who get a boner everytime someone mentions ‘Vikings Training Camp’. Fix the field already, the EC is a pipe dream that is at least 5-7 years down the road.