The big news yesterday was the Skyforce organization announcing they are leaving the Arena to go play in Sanford's sports complex called the Pentagon.
The Skyforce has been talking with Sanford about this for the past two years and Sanford officials have changed the design to accomodate their wish for a 3,000 seat venue. The Skyforce never said they were going to move to the Event Center but they also never said they intended to leave the Arena. Two years in the making and not a word during the debate. The City just paid close to a half million dollars for a new scoreboard at the Arena. How special.
The spin cycle by SMG's Arena Management and the Sports Authority's Executive Director was humorous and expected. What else are they going to say about losing a major anchor tenant at the Arena? I think they should have played that song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in the background while they spun their stance that it doesn't mean anything that the Skyforce are leaving the Arena. It's an opportunity.
Just what is to become of the Arena? I looked at the calendar of events posted on the Arena's website and it is mainly the sports venues playing there for the next six months. The Summit League champion games are going to be playing in the Event Center, not the Arena once built per Sports Authority Sullivan. If the Storm and Stampede move to the Event Center what will be left at the Arena? Not much. Will high school graduations, antique and craft shows pay the bills to turn the lights on at the Arena?
City officials and their minions, the Sports Authority, SMG and Global Spectrum better get their marketing skills up and working now. They have a new facility to book in addition to the Convention Center and now they have to deal with a white elephant who just lost an anchor tenant that was at least sure money.
It's becoming a daily spin cycle. We now have the ability to market other things since those Skyforce dates are freed up. Don't worry, be happy.
From Page 12 of the AECOM report:
ReplyDelete"Of Sioux Falls' three professional sports teams, we assume that the Skyforce will continue to pla in the Arena, and that the Stampede and Storm will play in the Events Center."
They also assume on the next page we will get 11 concerts of 8,000 attendance, 21 family shows of 3,300 attendance and 34 flat-floor events of 3,500 attendance as well.
What happens when you ASSUME again?
You know what assume does? Makes an ass-(of)-u-(and)me! It has arrived!
ReplyDeleteThis is like having your car break down before you've even signed the papers to complete the financing for it. This was only going to work if everything went right and before we really begin things have started to go wrong.
ReplyDeleteFriendly stat of the day - Conventions make up 16% of revenue in those buildings and we're building a 12,000 seat arena so we can have more conventions. Yeah, that's stupid. I'm so glad I voted no and I have very little faith this will succeed, which makes me very sad as a taxpayer and citizen who is paying for this.
Just because the people voted to build does not mean the city HAS to. Maybe there should be a movement towards that angle.
ReplyDeleteHuether's grand scheme is going to bring this city to its knees. I hate being such a pessimist but how can you take in this latest news and not wonder what the heck!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is becoming a stink bomb!
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget to add to the list:
ReplyDeleteA potential repayment period of 26 years rather than the 22 year figure that Mike and his Team used at all of their "Roadshows"!! (see siouxfalls.org)
AND, a new (and very expensive) viaduct over Russell....
as Mike put it at the City's Neighborhood Summit..."A viaduct is already planned to accommodate EC development on the north side of Russell."
I can tell you that this viaduct "that is already planned" NEVER came up at Mike's 18 EC Updates to the Council or at the three EC Roadshows that I attended....in spite of the fact that they were asked about this multiple times!! Reason: the cost of the viaduct would have been part of the EC finance plan and taken the number over the 200m mark!!!!!!
Multi-million dollar Viaduct, Skyforce Moves to Sanford's Sports Complex, potential increase of four years added on to the repayment period...........AND, the vote took place only 23 days ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Becoming a stink bomb? - it always has been. And don't kid yourself - Huether and his cronies (ie Darrin Smith, Jim Entenman, Dean Karsky etc) were WELL AWARE that the Skyforce had no plans to play at the new EC OR the Arena. For the love of Mary - I heard 3 months ago they were making plans to play at the Pentagon. People don't realize that with the loss of the Skyforce at the arena - you not only lose 30 booked dates - you also lose sponsors, concession sales, beer sales etc for those 30 dates also. I am so furious right now. I voted no - but so many that voted yes got duped - and duped hard. Thank you Mr Mayor. Please run for a higher office so you can get the hell out of SF!
ReplyDeleteWill there be beer sales at the Pentagon?
ReplyDeleteIt's not tough to get a beer sales license. Put it this way - if this will be about making $$ which I am sure it is (and it should be)- they will have beer sales at the Skyforce.
ReplyDeleteIf Entenman can get a beer license for every weekend from May thru September for his weekend beer parties for bikers at J&L, Sanford can get the same for the Pentagon.
ReplyDeletePoly
Only 23 days after the election! You can bet that Huether and Company knew about this a long time ago and he stifled these facts too.
ReplyDeleteGee I wonder where the Argus Liar is at with their investigative reporting. Sounds like a story to me. If this would have been the prior Mayor they would have been all over it.
This is the most dishonest individual I've ever seen in my life. As this white elephant finally unfolds maybe the next election that should be called is a "RECALL ELECTION". I think some of his friends that he gave jobs to at City Hall should start think about what their next job will be.
The Argus Leader is more to blame than most people realize and it is time people let them know that they do not provide a service to our community. If the AL had done proper investigative journalism and stayed neutral as a true news provider we may not have made this tragic mistake. Look for very serious cutbacks in essential services, already the indoor swimming pool at Spellerberg has been taken off the CIP and watch for very other "quality of life" projects to fail. There was no PL study done for the EC and there is no tenant named for the EC, unlike area centers. Fargo Dome has NSDU as a steady tenant. We need 35 conventions a year to make this work - no one identified where they will come from, and in regard to big name concerts, please know that the cutesy gals in the radio ad will continue to travel to other cities to shop and see shows. It is sad and the AL is very responsible as a the major print medium in this area. They did a poor job and the community will suffer because of their failure to do the hard work.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor figured he could say anything he wanted in order to get the voters to vote yes. Didn't have to be true, just had to be effective. He used our taxpayer dollars to lie to us. Already, just days out from the election the lies start showing up (and they're not insignificant ones either) This is fraud folks, and charges should be brought up against Mayor Huether. The project should also be cancelled because it wasn't an election based on true information... it was a CON, a BAIT and SWITCH!
ReplyDelete