By: Diane Benjamin Nick Leroy had a short-lived venue called The Stable in downtown Bloomington. Hopefully he knows shows that make money instead of subsidized entertaining for the elites. When is the City going to admit the Coliseum isn’t The Grossinger Motors Arena anymore? Too hard to take the sign down? In case you missed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Budget book 2 – PDF page 132 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29127 The paragraph below sure sounds like the City let Grossinger Motors off the hook for naming rights long before the contract was over last summer. Grossinger is still on the building anyway. The City still refers to it at Grossinger anyway. The EXCESS reserves […]
By: Diane Benjamin FYI: The Council that hired Tim Gleason and that mayor are long gone. Gleason was hired to revitalize downtown because he revitalized Decatur’s (sort of). After 5:00 very little happens in the closed up downtown businesses. It is nothing like Bloomington’s downtown that exists for lawyers, people accused of crimes, homeless people, […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/grossinger-motors-arena?msclkid=ac4450df0ccf192916d5331304eab1a2 Since the City of Bloomington now running the Coliseum, click on that link and check out ticket prices. It almost looks like every couple of seats has a different price depending on where it is. It must be too difficult just to have a few different prices, this event needs tons […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Unit 5 is counting on low voter turnout to pass yet another attempt to raise your taxes – that’s after they already raised property taxes. These current School Board members want re-elected: Kelly Pyle Amy Roser Both were appointed in 2018, they are part of the problem. Unions will be running […]
By: Diane Benjamin If nothing gets pulled from the Consent Agenda the only item remaining is the Finance Director’s Report and comments. On the Consent Agenda: The gift that can’t stop giving – Coliseum, it isn’t Grossinger Motors Arena anymore: Looks like the Market Street Garage isn’t going anywhere soon: $10.52 a square foot. Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Arena was renamed in 2017 when Grossinger Motors agreed to pay naming rights. See this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/06/23/arena-name-change/ The naming rights expired June 30, 2022. Grossinger Motors doesn’t even exist anymore so obviously they didn’t renew the naming rights. I would have to file a FOIA to see if they even paid […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) We now have proof Unit 5 teaches kids what to think, not how to think. Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/04/normal-your-taxes-funded-this/ Doug Fansler sent a video of a Ted Talk to Chemberly Cummings after her Youth on a Mission promoted EV’s without considering all sides. The students obviously didn’t look for facts […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s packet: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1162&Inline=True Take a trip down memory lane to 2017: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/9854/636130888246430000 That link is to the proposed 2017 budget. PDF page 19 shows the General Fund including the percent held in reserves. The City planned to collect and spend $104,794,506. The RESERVES percent of the General Fund was 12.87%. Jump to […]
March Meltdown was at the Coliseum, so the BCPA is still looking for their first show this year to make money. The Performance Fee below is from a show called the Adventures of the Tortoise and the Hare. I still don’t have that report. I was missing one report from the BCPA – March Meltdown. […]
By: Diane Benjamin’ I think the Grossinger Motors naming rights expire next year. It was a 5 year agreement in June of 2017. Expect something really original like Bloomington Arena to replace it. Of course that means new signage. Maybe the City can just paint the name on the building instead (don’t hold your breath). […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on last night’s meeting tomorrow, start with this. Tim Gleason announced last night the Council will consider honorary street names for: (you have to hear it for yourself – 8 seconds) First, Bloomington is completely incompetent at zoom. Tim Gleason is talking, see his face up there anywhere? Hold a meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both of these shows were re-schedules from before Covid was a thing. One is listed as a rental, the other was co-produced meaning the City of Bloomington wasn’t assuming all the risk. Co-producing also means the profit is much less, but at least both show a profit. I had to FOIA both […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government is not capable of Master Planning because they are spending YOUR money not theirs. They use your taxes as a piggy bank to fulfill their wishes. Voters keep electing progressives who promise to make their lives better and of course not raise taxes to do it. Insert your own joke__________________. Proof […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) 2 more things from Bloomington Council meeting last Monday: Tim Gleason thinks he has to obey whatever Pritzker utters, of course getting money is involved. Gleason is going to require all fire department personnel to be vaccinated or test twice a week. No mention of people who have had COVID and […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Since I don’t read the Pantagraph, a reader told me what Bill Flick wrote in a column last Sunday. https://pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/flick-from-jimmy-fallon-to-jay-janssen-in-no-time/article_af765d10-bbb8-5b2a-8412-bf30d1fd8685.html Maybe Flick can be forgiven for not knowing the truth since his paper dutifully printed the bogus Profit/Loss numbers reported by the former managers and NEVER the audited numbers […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll for tonight: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=24570 Coliseum expenses: The first entry is for bills Bloomington paid that VenuWorks needs to reimburse – all the rest are coming out of taxpayers pockets: I don’t remember ever seeing a check written for loan payments, usually they do wire transfers: $795,000 was paid in principal […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has been paying VenuWorks $4,999.98 sporadically since 2016, payments are marked loan principle. This story says why: https://blnnews.com/2016/10/06/so-bloomington-claims/ The short version: VenuWorks paid John Butler (CIAM) for equipment at the Coliseum. The City is reimbursing them for that purchase. The total was $299,999, no interest, payments over 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin A little history: A lot of department spending at the City of Bloomington is done by PCard. Since December isn’t a month with conferences to attend and employees are more likely to take time off, it shouldn’t be a surprise PCard spending is lower than usual: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23757 https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23995 January: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=24210 February: So […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t heard, the trial for John Butler as a result from his time managing the Coliseum got delayed again. It will supposedly happen on August 10th. More event reports have been posted, all show a profit. See if you can figure out what is embarrassing about this one: VenuWorks is […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1817 4 ISU hockey events are also posted. Even with dismal attendance the profits were: $1,727.26, $2,269.16, $2,458.26, and $1,997.42. Most of the profit is from charging $2000 to play there. This year the City projected Arena: revenues of $4,883,795 expenses of $5,219,846 – for a loss of $336,051. For the year […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23814 https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23798 . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23761 Since the Executive Director’s comments are tiny:
By: Diane Benjamin VenuWorks finally posted 2 hockey reports for the new league playing at the Coliseum. (Grossinger Motors Arena is too long folks) The memo states these are the top two teams in the League, a new one from here will be playing next year. I do not know why these two games were […]
By: Diane Benjamin Jamie Mathy urged citizens to look at the upcoming shows at the BCPA during Aldermen comments at last night’s Council meeting. He claimed a show that costs $100 in Chicago could be only $30 here. See upcoming events: https://www.artsblooming.org/events/calendar Meanwhile, the last event report posted for the BCPA was a show held […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum didn’t come close to making the projected profit before it was built. Now it is being recreated as a community asset. At more than one City Council meeting it has been announced that around 1000 people attend the indoor Farmers Markets held at the Coliseum. Note: Nobody ever claims these […]
By: Diane Benjamin Here’s my take on today’s hockey announcement: Hockey can show a profit for VenuWorks if they are smarter than in the past. ISU is only charged $2000 to play at the Coliseum, the ticket sales are dismal so they might not break even. At least they aren’t bleeding for the privilege of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/16/tari-on-wjbc-3/ Usually when there is good news people like to report it quickly. The Luke Combs concert profit is good news, why it wasn’t posted as required by the arena contract is a mystery. https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23305 Country music concerts always do well. If VenuWorks had self-promoted this […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only hockey that still exist at the Coliseum is ISU. VenuWorks is charging them $2,000 a game – the event report for ISU vrs Bradley shows 120 tickets were sold, 181 people who attended got in free. https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=22627 The Flying Aces were charged $5,000 per game. Since attendance was dismal, they […]
By: Diane Benjamin No one showed up for Public Comment last night at the Bloomington meeting! There is A LOT more to cover about Normal, I will get back to that meeting eventually. First on the Agenda was a presentation from VenuWorks. I have no idea why this presentation is allowed instead of the AUDITED […]
By: Diane Benjamin There are no shows posted on the event calendar for Grossinger Motors Arena until September. Luke Combs is scheduled for the 27th. The only other events are two shows of Trolls Live in November. https://www.grossingermotorsarena.com/events-and-tickets/calendar Tonight’s event was moved to the Castle Theatre. This event was held in May – another […]
By: Diane Benjamin Definition of capitalism: Making your life better by providing goods or services other people want at a price they will pay. It is a simple concept that has improved the lives of millions around the globe. It is color blind and doesn’t care who you sleep with. It is what made America […]
By: Diane Benjamin I heard a copy of days ago that tickets to the May 4th Stars on Ice show were discounted by 50%. Even that didn’t help. Instead of posting this report under “Arena” on the City website, it is under BCPA: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1702 The Coliseum/Grossinger Motors Arena will never be successful. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the Quarterly losses VenuWorks has previously reported for this fiscal year: 5/1/2018 – 7/31/2018 -130,634.54 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20022 8/1/2018 – 10/31/2018 -96,333.02 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20795 11/1/2018 – 1/31/19 -68,108.47 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21235 Year to date for THREE quarters shows a loss of $295,076.03. The 4th […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve heard numerous times about the lack of people working Coliseum events. Last night was no exception. I believe the final hockey game to ever be played at the arena took place last night. A local business sponsored suites and handed out free tickets. According to an attendee, there was only 1 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The missing event reports from Grossinger Motors Arena have finally been posted. Details here: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/11/more-venuworks-city-fail/ Last year the Bacon and Beer Fest made a profit of $ 12,230.53. 1319 people attended. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15976 This year the event was held earlier in the day, attendance dropped to 1166, profit dropped to $ 8,037.07. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21322 […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve been writing about the Coliseum and the lies media repeats for years! CIAM and VenuWorks created their own financial statements. Every local media uses their numbers and repeats them like gospel. Both can say anything they want in those statements – they create them. Numbers reported by both are not accurate, […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to the contract between the City of Bloomington and VenuWorks: PDF page 17 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=10901 The good news is the Competitive Cheerleading Finals shows an estimated profit of $49,539.52. Competitive Dance Finals showed a profit of $23,655.62. One report is missing: February 10th is more than 10 days ago. “No Later” […]
By: Diane Benjamin The first thing that is NEVER discussed is what government should do verses what they are doing. Budgeting requires making choices, Bloomington has decided roads aren’t that important. What they want it more important. You will probably be saddled with some type of water park and a sports complex this year. Let’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council held a retreat on November 4, 2017. The minutes from the meeting show just how bad a City Manager David Hales was. See them here, rarely do the minutes reflect contentious discussions – you can see some of it here even if they don’t reflect how bad it was: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=16276 […]
