From Deseret News archives:
Stadium deal doomed?
County number-crunchers call it a risky investment
Salt Lake County's Debt Review Committee unanimously voted Tuesday that giving $30 million in hotel-tax revenue to help finance the $110 million soccer stadium in Sandy is a risky investment. Two members of the committee abstained from voting.
County Mayor Peter Corroon now must weigh the odds. He said he will decide early next week whether to recommend that the Salt Lake County Council commit public funding for the stadium.
"I'm not one who has never taken gambles in my life," Corroon said. "But if I don't think it's a risk worth taking, I won't."
Team owner Dave Checketts believes public funding for a stadium is not a gamble at all.
"There is little to no risk for the taxpayers of Salt Lake County," Checketts said in a written statement.
Even in the "unlikely" event that the team fails and abandons the stadium, Checketts said, the county still comes out on top: Salt Lake County would still hold "substantial assets" after the team leaves, including $13 million in land that will appreciate in value over the years and a shared parking lot with the South Towne Exposition Center.
But that wasn't enough to sway the Debt Review Committee. The team's weaknesses far outweighed the strengths, according to the committee's recommendation to Corroon.
The deal-breaker for committee chairman Larry Richardson was that he believes Real won't be able to pay off its debts. The committee based its decision on a financial model that blended the team's projections with figures from an independent financial consultant.
According to the committee's financial model, the team wouldn't have enough money to pay its $3.3 million in yearly debt obligations in four out of the next seven years.
"That's the problem there they end up with so much debt and so much debt service," said Richardson, who also serves as county treasurer. "I said from the get-go, if it didn't cover the debt service, I couldn't vote for it."
Real Salt Lake leaders believe that they can make more than enough money through ticket sales and concerts at the stadium to pay off the debt.
The committee, however, didn't believe all of Real's "sunny" concert assumptions, said Doug Willmore, the county's chief administrative officer.
The committee's hybrid financial model cut the team's concert projections in half: The team forecast 11 to 18 concerts a year, but the committee predicted four to 11 a year. The committee also shaved the team's concert-attendance projections by 5,500 fans.
Comments
- Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN 7:54 p.m.
- Colon cancer topic of News hotline 7:53 p.m.
- Try this chicken two-fer 6:54 p.m.
- Cats are trainable — no joke 6:47 p.m.
- Oscar gets 20 animated submissions 6:38 p.m.
- Semifinal slate sealed on 'Dancing' 6:30 p.m.
- Records: MJ's funeral cost about $1M 6:28 p.m.
- Yardsmart: Flowers honor veterans 6:26 p.m.
- Lining up for 'Modern Warfare 2' 6:22 p.m.
- Ronnie Wood divorced over adultery 6:21 p.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- BYU football recruit turning heads
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- Prep football: Felt's Facts Week
- 12 Utes return to Texas
- Cougars' defensive hoops clinic
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- Gays get Mormon support in SLC
- House passes health care bill
282 - SLC council OKs gay rights policies
237 - TCU showdown has big implications
193 - Senators want food tax restored
157 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
109 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
108 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
100
This week, I'm compiling my annual list of restaurants serving...
When is is? I checked the uhsaa website and could not find out when it was.
go SJ! take it to those wildcats. we'll be rootin for ya here in ktown.
I was referring to that. I'm being nit picky, but it is a state championship...
Thank your for your service code talkers!
A rocker guilty of adultery at some point during a 24 year marriage....
The ethics of science gives multiple reasons why the humane treatment of...
i dont know what your talking about lone peak hunter might have more students...
@ Anonymous 7:40 It is based on diagnoses, not treatment. Therefore the...
stop talking mc you guys talk like you have beaten tv already and the scores...
Thanks to the Church when thanks are due. and to Brett | 6:00 p.m. Nov....



You can be the first to comment on this story.