Stadium

[Dodge2007]

Why can't this be done in our own county........UTSA trying to raise some money thru the Bexar County Bond initiatives???

If our county reps would get off their ass, UNT might be closer to a new stadium, at least its worth a shot.

Local colleges: Initiative at a glance --Express News

Web Posted: 01/09/2008 10:51 PM CST

Staff report

What's at stake for UTSA? The UTSA athletic department has a $15 million stake in an upcoming vote in Bexar County on financing amateur sports facilities. Officials are pushing a package of civic improvements that would be backed by an extension of the hotel-motel and rental car taxes, which originally funded construction of the AT&T Center.

When is the vote? Officials are hoping for May 10.

What's on the ballot? Separate ballot items are scheduled on amateur sports, the AT&T Center, the San Antonio River and the performing arts.

How much will the projects cost?

Amateur Sports facilities: $80.million; San Antonio River improvements: $125 million; Performing arts center: $110.million; x-Community arenas grounds and facilities improvements: $100 million. Total: $415 million

Local colleges: Amateur Sports Facilities Initiative

Web Posted: 01/09/2008 10:48 PM CST

Staff report

The 13 projects within the amateur sports facilities initiative, with proposed level of funding for each from Bexar County:

1. UTSA: $15 million

x-Funding for a proposed $60.million Division I athletics complex on UTSA campus.

2. Regional soccer/special needs park: $5 million

15 international-sized soccer fields, with 16-acre special-needs park

3. National Aquatics Center: $7 million

y-4,000-seat, 50-meter-by-25-yard international specification competition pool, plus 25-yard and 25-meter diving /warm-up pool

4. Brooks City Base soccer: $5 million

10 full-sized soccer fields added to four existing fields

5. Concepcion Park: $16.1 million

‘Tournament quality' gym with six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts

6. Culebra Creek soccer: $5.23 million

Fourteen soccer fields added to eight existing fields; plus eight softball diamonds with city funding

7. Wheatley Heights: $7.5 million

Softball four-plex; running track, with ‘championship' football field, plus five practice football fields

8. Classics Elite soccer: $1.2 million

Five full-size soccer fields with concessions, restrooms, at McAllister Park

9. Southeast Skyline: $3.3 million

A 7-field Pony League baseball complex on north tip of Southside Lions Park.

10. St. Mary's University: $6 million

NCAA Division II outdoor sports

[Censored by Laurie]

Why can't this be done in our own county........UTSA trying to raise some money thru the Bexar County Bond initiatives???

If our county reps would get off their ass, UNT might be closer to a new stadium, at least its worth a shot.

Local colleges: Initiative at a glance --Express News

Web Posted: 01/09/2008 10:51 PM CST

Staff report

What's at stake for UTSA? The UTSA athletic department has a $15 million stake in an upcoming vote in Bexar County on financing amateur sports facilities. Officials are pushing a package of civic improvements that would be backed by an extension of the hotel-motel and rental car taxes, which originally funded construction of the AT&T Center.

When is the vote? Officials are hoping for May 10.

What's on the ballot? Separate ballot items are scheduled on amateur sports, the AT&T Center, the San Antonio River and the performing arts.

How much will the projects cost?

Amateur Sports facilities: $80.million; San Antonio River improvements: $125 million; Performing arts center: $110.million; x-Community arenas grounds and facilities improvements: $100 million. Total: $415 million

Local colleges: Amateur Sports Facilities Initiative

Web Posted: 01/09/2008 10:48 PM CST

Staff report

The 13 projects within the amateur sports facilities initiative, with proposed level of funding for each from Bexar County:

1. UTSA: $15 million

x-Funding for a proposed $60.million Division I athletics complex on UTSA campus.

2. Regional soccer/special needs park: $5 million

15 international-sized soccer fields, with 16-acre special-needs park

3. National Aquatics Center: $7 million

y-4,000-seat, 50-meter-by-25-yard international specification competition pool, plus 25-yard and 25-meter diving /warm-up pool

4. Brooks City Base soccer: $5 million

10 full-sized soccer fields added to four existing fields

5. Concepcion Park: $16.1 million

‘Tournament quality' gym with six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts

6. Culebra Creek soccer: $5.23 million

Fourteen soccer fields added to eight existing fields; plus eight softball diamonds with city funding

7. Wheatley Heights: $7.5 million

Softball four-plex; running track, with ‘championship' football field, plus five practice football fields

8. Classics Elite soccer: $1.2 million

Five full-size soccer fields with concessions, restrooms, at McAllister Park

9. Southeast Skyline: $3.3 million

A 7-field Pony League baseball complex on north tip of Southside Lions Park.

10. St. Mary's University: $6 million

NCAA Division II outdoor sports

I'll be the first to say...wow...Dodge2007 you may actually have something here. I can't recal having ever seen this line of thinking used for stadium funding. Good find

[OldTimer]

I'll be the first to say...wow...Dodge2007 you may actually have something here. I can't recal having ever seen this line of thinking used for stadium funding. Good find

UTEP 's stadium...the Sun Bowl was built and paid for by the county originally. Ultimately I believe now belongs to UTEP.

[nautique]

Maybe the legends on this board can get something going with RV and try to get the County commissioners to listen to Dodge2007's finding of this info.

Edited January 11, 2008 by nautique

[UNTflyer]

I'll tell you why this won't fly... the tax-base of Denton County can't support it.

We have trouble funding roads and bridges because the average home value in the county is much lower than Dallas or Tarrant, yet we face the challenge of bigger growth.

[nautique]

Every damn road and every bridge in all cities need repair. Big money deals for sports must be funded by tax or rich donors who step up to the plate. UNT has no rich alum who believe in the sports programs enough to do so, at least, no one has shown that for 10 or 15 years, look at Fouts because it tells it all.

[Dodge2007]

Combinations of increased sales tax and motel/motel/car rental tax add up to big bucks in a hurry. Country Commissioners make this kind of deal happen along with a strong city mayor who backs athletics.

RV would be a legend if he could pull this off like UTSA is trying to do.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Dodge2007

[greenminer]

UTEP 's stadium...the Sun Bowl was built and paid for by the county originally. Ultimately I believe now belongs to UTEP.

I think it was eminent domain. I might be confusing this with another facility, but I'm pretty sure UTEP used some legal muscle to get the Sun Bowl back from the county so they could continue doing other events but under their own umbrella.

[Dodge2007]

Also lets not forget that Texas Stadium is owned by the City of Irving and that the new Jerry World is being fund in part by the 1/2 cent sales tax increase. City of Arlington is giving Jerry $325 million.

Why can't our county give amateur athletics some money? Make the stadium multi purpose so the citizens of Denton and the County feel like its owned by them. Make UNT do the upkeep and bring some cash to the table as well.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Dodge2007

[Bryan316]

It's taken the city/county 2 or 3 years now to get 288 expanded to handle the new retail development across from the WM. Hotels, motels, and car rentals aren't big enough in Denton to rake in a ton of cash. The only time the hotels fill are for the NASCAR race and Homecoming. Plus, I'm not sure Lewisville, Flower Mound, and the rest of the smaller towns and cities in Denton County would be on board with financing a stadium that their city has no vested interest in.

[Dodge2007]

1/2 cent sales tax is big dollars, one cent sales tax is huge just in the City of Denton.

Hell Rick alone on Loop 288 with his fireman's hat or boot could raise the difference.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Dodge2007

[shaft]

Because a new football stadium doesn't do anything for the county.

Counties don't get hotel/motel taxes...Cities do. And the City of Denton uses their Hotel Occupancy Taxes to fund things like the Denton Jazz Fest.

Sports Facilities are bad economic development projects. They do very little to bring new business, value, and growth to a City.

Arlington is bit of a special case, because the City was buying an indentity to support a project the city had been working towards for years. "Fun Central" already had the hotel and entertainment infrastructure to support the new Cowboys Stadium. Arlington also over paid for their stadium; the city is giving away their parking fees to Jones, and only gets a portion of the naming rights.

Why should people in Lewisville or Little Elm pay for a stadium in Denton.

[Dodge2007]

Because a new football stadium doesn't do anything for the county.

Counties don't get hotel/motel taxes...Cities do. And the City of Denton uses their Hotel Occupancy Taxes to fund things like the Denton Jazz Fest.

Sports Facilities are bad economic development projects. They do very little to bring new business, value, and growth to a City.

Arlington is bit of a special case, because the City was buying an indentity to support a project the city had been working towards for years. "Fun Central" already had the hotel and entertainment infrastructure to support the new Cowboys Stadium. Arlington also over paid for their stadium; the city is giving away their parking fees to Jones, and only gets a portion of the naming rights.

Why should people in Lewisville or Little Elm pay for a stadium in Denton.

Why does any city fund athletic venues or the Symphony for that matter? Athletics venues cost big bucks and the communties who rally around great county and city leadership get sh*t done and others just piss and moan and cry about everything else.

[UNTLifer]

It's taken the city/county 2 or 3 years now to get 288 expanded to handle the new retail development across from the WM. Hotels, motels, and car rentals aren't big enough in Denton to rake in a ton of cash. The only time the hotels fill are for the NASCAR race and Homecoming. Plus, I'm not sure Lewisville, Flower Mound, and the rest of the smaller towns and cities in Denton County would be on board with financing a stadium that their city has no vested interest in.

Loop 288 is not a city/county road. It is a state road and the improvements are state funded. The state is who to look for to place blame in that mess.

[Dodge2007]

Upgrading UNT up to the big time (facilty wise and then with wins and a conference change) would have a long time lasting financial impact on the Denton community. You don't think Lubbock or College Station benefits from a bigger University and the following those schools have on game day weekends?

Edited January 11, 2008 by Dodge2007

[JesseMartin]

If we want to be constructive about this whole thing...

Wherever this came from, can we get a hold of the sources? Give me a few days, I have a friend in the biz that could make a few calls...what we really need to know is the exact type of funding they received before we start calling shots on each other.

Cool?

[GreenMachine]

Why should people in Lewisville or Little Elm pay for a stadium in Denton.

Because I live in Little Elm and I wouldn't mind paying for a new stadium.

[DeepGreen]

Why should people in Lewisville or Little Elm pay for a stadium in Denton.

For the same reason I pay school taxes and haven't had children in a public school in five years. And BTW, our school district just approved a $140 mil bond, over $9 million of which will be spent on a new football stadium, artificial turf, and a two story press box, among other amenities.

[UNTflyer]

County funding just isn't going to happen.

[drex]

Believe me, an idea very similar to this was presented to North Texas officials about two months ago. What they will do with the idea, God only knows.

[drex]

My first post might have been a bit too dramatic. Casual alternatives were mentioned to some NT officials recently. I do not really know the feasibility of the ideas in Denton County.

[Legend500]

There's a major difference between the situation here in Bexar County with the 15 million for UTSA and the 6 million for St. Mary's (The city is really behind UTSA, and pretty much everybody running the county and city graduated from St. Mary's) and the situation in Denton County. Remember, unlike San Antonio in Bexar, Denton is the 2nd or 3rd largest city in Denton County (behind Carrollton and maybe Lewisville). This means that Denton can't just declare something and make it true. The real decision to support something like that would have to come from Carrollton, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Southlake, as well. That's not gonna happen without a county-wide push for UNT. Can Dr. B do it?

[DallasGreen]

There's a major difference between the situation here in Bexar County with the 15 million for UTSA and the 6 million for St. Mary's (The city is really behind UTSA, and pretty much everybody running the county and city graduated from St. Mary's) and the situation in Denton County. Remember, unlike San Antonio in Bexar, Denton is the 2nd or 3rd largest city in Denton County (behind Carrollton and maybe Lewisville). This means that Denton can't just declare something and make it true. The real decision to support something like that would have to come from Carrollton, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Southlake, as well. That's not gonna happen without a county-wide push for UNT. Can Dr. B do it?

Don't be so naive to think that county $$ are not there. The Barnett Shale has greatly increased the tax base. It's certainly not all based on residential values, commercial is growing as well and it gets better every year. Take a look at how the smaller ISDs like Krum or Ponder are building quality new facilities and tell me that the natural gas discovery hasn't greatly increased the tax base.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Denton County Judge Mary Horn is a good friend of UNT. Maybe someone from the administration can talk to her and see if that's feasible.

[MCMLXXX]

Denton County Judge Mary Horn is a good friend of UNT. Maybe someone from the administration can talk to her and see if that's feasible.

That may be the all time funniest post in the history of this forum.