While I understand peeps frustration in Stapleton cancelling his show last night (he really could have done it earlier in the day) I really think this could be a lesson in local economic impact. As we know, the Denty hasn’t really helped the economy in Sioux Falls that much, in fact it is a drain of over $10 million a year to taxpayers, money that could be spent on needed infrastructure instead. As I have said before, besides the little bit of tax revenue we draw from the place each year, almost 100% of the money that is spent at the facility goes straight down the highway. The promoters, management companies (beverage and food included) and the artists get the lion’s share and take it straight out of town. Very little gets recirculated in the community.
But last night, I saw something amazing in DTSF. The streets were filled with flannel wearing, boot scootin’ concert goers that were stuck in town for the night without a show to go to. They were spending the money they intended to throw away at the Denty in our town at local businesses instead of to a corporate giant.
It would be interesting to see what the sales tax boost to the city was from last night.
One of the main reasons I opposed the Denty, wasn’t because of the price tag, it was because it would not benefit local business. When people are dropping $400 per person in one night (tickets, beverages, taxi, hotel, etc.) basically in one place, they have blown their entertainment budget for several months and not spending it locally.
I remember a time around 10-15 years ago when you had oodles of options to see live music and entertainment at a host of different venues. And not just local yocals but National and Regional acts. The money spent got recirculated in our community.
Let us learn from this incident.
Some of those people probably would have still headed downtown afterwards, but with upfront $10 beers latter $4 beers become less affordable.
( and Woodstock adds: “Maybe the beers are cheaper downtown because the siding on the Bunker Ramp is even less bearable”… )
VSG, I will admit, while writing this, that a majority of the money they were spending downtown was on onion rings and alcohol. But my bigger point is that they were spending it on local bizzo, which gets re-circulated unlike un-taxed trusts and carbon pipelines.
they were probably lined up out the door at the china trough on 41st street last night.
Catfishing concert goers gets the Denty a bad reputation.
Ramble on.
Oh, I hear you l3wis, I still can’t believe, however, that no one in the current city administration wants to do anything about the Events Center siding. It’s like driving around in a new car, that got hail damage, and doing nothing about it.
The Denty siding is forgotten. When it fails it’ll be called a repair. The same worked for Pavilion problems. One thing that can’t be brushed aside is the multistory vacant parking ramp. It’s gonna take some creative deception to hide this blunder.