bonwich Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 If anyone can find the actual SLU press release, please link it. I can't find it on the SLU site. http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/sto...tml?jst=b_ln_hl 1) Looks like the tab is up to $80M 2) Groundbreaking is "by September." 3) It appears the earliest we'll see a game there is the 2008-2009 season, when Tommie and Kevin are seniors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 It's under "News" http://slubillikens.collegesports.com/spor.../021906aaa.html "The Arena will be located on University-owned property near the intersection of Compton Ave. and Interstate 64/Highway 40. The Arena project has been re-designed to include a two-court practice facility, athletic department offices, locker rooms, state-of-the-art strength and conditioning and sports medicine areas adjacent to the 10,000 seat Arena. At 10,000 seats, the Arena will be among the top four in seating capacity in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Construction of the Arena complex is estimated at $77 million. With the addition of design and other fees, the total cost of the project is $80 million." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 That's last month's original announcement of the Board's approval of the project. The U. made a separate announcement today, the one that's cited in the Business Journal link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I don't see any mention of a new SLU press release in that article. I see the BizJournal finding out from the school who the management firm will be. That could have been done with a phone call. All the other information is the same as what has been publicly available for a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 It concerns me that this firm manages the Family Arena - I hope they do a better job for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS67 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 The firm manages the new Saint Charles Convention Center. Not the same as the Family Arena I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alameda bob Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I'm impressed with their resume.. www.global-spectrum.com check the press release on their site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 http://www.global-spectrum.com/default.asp...06&newsID=37977 And yes, this happened today. And yes, this is another instance of the athletic department mismanaging its communications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I am amazed at the constant level of negativity. I saw this early this afternoon on the Business Journal website where they had a nice article. I am sure the release did not come from the athletic dept but rather from the University. How is it that the athletic dept. is to blame and what is it that they did wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 On 1380 this afternoon, Mushmouth Karraker and Balzer had a lengthy discussion about the SLU arena and funding for it. Said anything and everything is for sale dealing with the arena, Howard wants to buy a memorial urinal for a couple hundred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewey33 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 pretty impressive array of clients, many with similar sized arenas http://www.global-spectrum.com/default.asp...r=2006&newsID=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I would like to see our urinals with the sanitary cakes they have in there with the Xavier or Dayton logos on it, so we can all literally piss on Xavier...When I went to Tuscaloosa a couple of years ago to see Bama play Auburn, the urinals in Bear Bryant stadium had the AU logo on it...now, THAT is a rivalry we probably will never reach with X or Dayton, that is unless we brawl with them every year and get Bill Laimbeer as our coach next year when we fire BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 That's the level of class that the Scandal Plagued University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa SPUAT shows. We won't have that kind of rivalry that is years and years of dislike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 > I am sure the release did not come from the athletic dept but rather from the University. Fine. Find it somewhere on either the main SLU web site or on SLUBillikens.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 It would be fun to do that, you have to admit. I'm sure all the Xavier fans with weak bladders would really enjoy it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Thank you for the information. This cinches the fact the Arena will not make any money for SLU (although it will certainly make money for Global Spectrum). Just as I predicted 5 years ago when people were wildly speculating how much money "owning" gets over "renting". Also you lose control of the facility which means if there is a large student event they have to negotiate with Global Spectrum not the University (at Rhody they charge $10,000 plus $2 per ticket sold for use and UMass is a little less I think). Good luck getting tons of those profitable events I was reading about here for YEARS! (You know like those "large academic events" some expert here was touting--maybe Saint Louis can get a professional roller hockey team in at a discount). Global Spectrum will negotiate some big time acts but then Global Spectrum pockets the money and if it isn't hugely profitable the place will be dark 300 nights a year. This arena may have some virtues but financially it is (like all arenas) an $80M lemon. I just hope the operating revenues are not such a great loss as to hurt the athletic department (which is what happened to UMass). Neither the Mullins Center at UMass or the Ryan Center at Rhodey make any money for their schools or athletic departments. We know that because they are public entities. I doubt the wider community will see these numbers at SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 that says Global Spectrum would take all the profits from the events they help bring on campus. Can you point that section out to me. Clearly this group will bring more business to the arena. So what if they take a cut of the revenues? As long as they bring in more revenues then they take out then everybody will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Global Spectrum/Comcast work on a fixed amount (at UMass it was like $1.5 mil.) as well as taking a percentage. The percentages that the "owner" ends up getting is usually less what they pay out in a fixed amount to the "manager". Welcome to the screwy world of arenanomics were the public and universities are happily fleeced in the name of entertainment. Global Spectrum makes money, the "owners" never do--it is a shell game usually played with public dollars. Ohh, and the city of Springfield, MA (the poorest city in the state, but the arena was sold to a state agency) just spent 71 million "renovating" their 6000 seat arena just 20 miles from UMass. Global Spectrum/Comcast is the only winner as they manage both facilities. The entire region has less than a million people and they have two Global Spectrum managed properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 The city of Hidalgo, Texas probably had no business building their little Dodge Arena but at least they decided to stop getting fleeced by Global Spectrum. If "lack of professionalism", "lack of pride" and "concerns about pricing" are not warning signs enough note their concerns about cash "shortages" after events. http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_more.p...=65449_0_10_0_C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenmetz Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Wouldn't it be better for the state of Missouri to ask SLU to host the High School men's and women's state finals there??? I look at the Hearnes Center or Mizzou arena or whatever it's called and it's practically empty. 10,000 arena like Carver Arena in Peoria would give it a feel of a big-time sold-out arena every year. I know they choose MU for it's center-of-the-state locale, but give it a new venue and maybe bring a little pocket change to SLU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBand Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 a friend honestly wanted to purchase nameing rights for a portable beer vending cart. He actually proposed the idea (not as a joke) and was rejected. He figured that he would be able to tell people to meet him at his beer cart!! We all know that you can pay SLU to remove names from things as well..remember the Baby Blues? Odd that they wouldn't let someone name a beer cart or concession stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 Consider the likelihood of a statewide, quasi-public organization (MSHSAA) awarding a contract to a private arena when there's a similarly sized public arena about 15 miles away (Family Arena in St. Charles); and a new one going up in Springfield; not to mention Kansas City's ambition for a new arena, which will also be too large for the h.s. tourney, but will be in-part-state-financed. Just like the mythical NCAA tourney games that got tossed around as a possibility for our new arena: Don't hold your breath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 It would be nice if it would rotate between Columbia, KC, StL, Springfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kshoe Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 because I honestly know very little about it? I do know that I have serious doubts that when the new arena is built that SLU should be creating a new department to schedule concerts, concessions, etc. It seems to me this is obviously an area that is better outsourced to trained professionals. You obviously have a strong opinion on arena management (and for that matter the appropriateness of arenas at all) but besides the tragic story of Brownsville, I fail to see a problem with it. You have pretty much provided opinions that these companies make too much money but since neither of us have open access to the books of this company or the arenas they service we have no proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Actually, the hiring of an outside firm to manage the arena is a knife that cuts both ways. You can argue that the school can do this and do it more cheaply. You can argue that an outside company with expertise and the contacts can do it better. Both sides have links of truth to them. Without seeing the contract it is hard to know what the stipulations are but I would be surprised if Biondi did not ensure some reasonable control over the bookings and assurances of an appropriate profit sharing mechanism. The examples of Rhode Island and UMass might not be an apples to oranges comparisons. St. Louis is a larger metro area and thus will have the chance to attract more events. The issue at Hildago TX - I am not sure what to make of that other than I guess any one contract a company has can go sour for a lot reasons but that does not mean all the contracts are bad. I will withhold judgement until I see the company in action here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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