By: Diane Benjamin
The book handed out to the Councils Monday night (and me) needed some corrections. Maybe that’s the reason for the delay in posting the information.
Normal has posted links to the presentation including video of the Monday meeting: https://www.normal.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1796
The local paper today called for a binding referendum. They called the complex “west side”, even though no locations were proposed Monday night. Evan Eleff of Sports Facilities Advisory did mention NUMEROUS locations could be used.
If a referendum is put on the ballot it should name a location. Moving the complex to the other side of town requiring driving on pothole filled roads will surely kill it.
See this story for the real truth on why soccer must move – it isn’t safety: https://blnnews.com/2018/04/05/faa-cira-and-soccer/
If they had restrooms, a concessions stand, and paid market value rent for the property – they could likely stay where they are.
I do know private groups are investigating the feasibility of a complex. It needs to be 100% private because if government is involved prevailing wages will push the cost much higher. In Illinois, competitive bidding and capitalism die when government is involved.
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$25k per acre for land and multi-million dollar contingency expenses (we all must assume are to disguise what they would really spend on labor and purchasing products at higher than normal cost) are non-starters. This facility will not break even. Like the Coliseum, you have groups pedaling this regardless of the harm to the taxpayers.
You allowed comment to this. Too bad the local weekly reader did not have the guts to do so. They have had a lot of that going on lately.
This is the last great gasp of grandiose lunacy before our area sinks into a economic decline that will turn us into the next Decatur (or worse). This is what happens when you elect leaders who should not be in positions of power. A bike shop owner and a college professor do not have the vision or the knowledge to guide our area through a transition from a 20th Century economy into a 21st Century economy. If fact, they have yet to even publicly admit there is an ongoing decline of State Farm and ISU and that we are in serious trouble. When people of the future look back they will wonder: “What were they thinking and why did they not even admit there was disaster coming? They proposed publicly financed building projects (magic bullet cures that they called economic development) while the area’s tax revenues and GDP declined more and more every day.” This slow motion train wreck is hard to watch day in and day out. It is particularly hard to watch the business and city leadership shrug off reality and try to load us all on their doomed train.
WJBC on FB published a few comments from Renner.
After reading your post about bond ratings coupled with this, a broad stroke is painted. The “powers that be” need to start adding 1+1 if they can.
Just to clarify: the group that makes their recommendation this “could” succeed also manages these facilities across the country. Rather than say, “We do not expect this facility to directly make money or even break even.” it appears they took the avenue of, “Well, we’re not lying when we say something ‘could’ happen.” I have a feeling if this boondoggle gets built (Coliseum 2.0) this group would get involved in the management side at a hefty price.