Field of Schemes
sports stadium news and analysis

  

This is an archived version of a Field of Schemes article. Comments on this page are closed. To find the current version of the article with updated comments, click here.

July 26, 2007

Orlando arena vote today

Florida's Orange County Commission votes on Orlando's proposal for a $1.1 billion development that would include a new Magic arena today (the Orlando city council already voted for the project Monday, but they don't count), and I've been sadly neglectful of keeping up with the story in recent days. A rundown of the latest developments:

  • An economic impact study by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission found that a new arena, renovated Orange Bowl, and new performing arts center would generate $620 million a year in economic activity - but not all of that would be new economic activity, since much of it would just replace dollars currently spent at existing facilities. Asked how much of the spending would actually be new to the region, consultant Bill Rhoda, who helped prepare the study, told the Orlando Sentinel: "I couldn't even hazard a guess." Why are they paying him the big bucks again?
  • Orange County comptroller Martha Haynie said she can't endorse the plans because the financing would rely on continued growth in tourist taxes, meaning if tourism took a nosedive, the project could run out of money.
  • The Magic offered to kick in an unspecified amount of money to build community gyms in Orlando, and to build "the nation's first eco-friendly NBA arena," whatever that means. (Beer cups made from corn plastic?)
  • A hotel lobbyist is reportedly pushing the state legislature to allow hotel taxes to be used for anti-crime measures rather than development projects like the arena.
  • The Sentinel editorialized in favor of the development plan, on the grounds that the city needs a place to stage more lavish musicals.

The Sentinel handicaps the vote as likely being 5-2 in favor of the arena plan, with all five votes needed because a supermajority is necessary to redirect tax money for the project. One of the two sure dissenters, commissioner Tiffany Moore, has called for the Magic to put in more money and for a vote to be delayed until after a public referendum on property-tax changes set for next January.

COMMENTS

I saw a paid advertisement on TV opposing the stadiums the other day. With crime a huge problem and the massive price tag on this project I wouldn't count on the 5-2 vote. The Orlando Sentinel has been acting more as a booster for this project than a neutral reporter so take their reports with a grain of salt. It's still likely to pass but it's only slightly better than even money IMHO.

Posted by joejoejoe on July 26, 2007 11:36 AM

It passed 5-2. A motion to put the funding to a referendum before the voters was also defeated 5-2.

Here's an example of the kind of boosterism found in the Orlando Sentinel:
Mike Bianchi, July 27, 2007

"It would have been a serious breach of journalism ethics, but there was a little part of me that wanted to run up and high-five Rich Crotty.

Or put on one of those big foam fingers and start chanting, "Rich, Rich, he's our man. He's gonna pass this venue plan!"

Or sprint to the front of board room at the Orange County Commission meeting Thursday evening, put him in a bear hug and scream, "Mayor Crotty, you da man!"

I've seen a lot of great quarterbacks in my day as a sportswriter, but I've never seen a more historic audible than the one Crotty called Thursday amid one of the most monumental moments in Central Florida history.

The situation was this: The future of Orlando was at stake."

Balanced, no?

It's so good of the Magic to kick in $12.5 million dollars to build those community centers in exchange for a $322 million dollar subsidy for construction of their arena. I guess it never occured to the commissioners who were swayed by the $12.5 million dollar community centers to fund them directly and save nearly $300 million dollars in the process but what do I know.

Posted by joejoejoe on July 27, 2007 03:23 AM

As the new $480,000,000 stadium is built 1000s and 1000s of hotel and timeshare workers are losing their jobs, the cost of the bonds went up another $112,000,000. The money should have been used as intended to promote tourism...

Posted by Orlando on December 26, 2008 10:21 PM

As the new $480,000,000 stadium is built 1000s and 1000s of hotel and timeshare workers are losing their jobs, the cost of the bonds went up another $112,000,000. The money should have been used as intended to promote tourism...

Posted by Orlando on December 26, 2008 10:21 PM

As the new $480,000,000 stadium is built 1000s and 1000s of hotel and timeshare workers are losing their jobs, the cost of the bonds went up another $112,000,000. The money should have been used as intended to promote tourism...

Posted by Orlando on December 26, 2008 10:21 PM

Latest News Items

CONTACT US FOR AD RATES