Reds and Bengals Pay Rent for Stadiums (Cincinnati, Toledo: how much, layoffs)

[kjbrill]

Under a noval idea announced today, the Reds and Bengals have agreed to start paying rent for their stadiums. This was apparently in response to the Hamilton Co. Commisioniers imposing a property tax increase to make up for the shortfall in the stadium debt fund. According to the press release I saw, this was announced.

Under the deal reached Wednesday, the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to pay $7.4 million in rent for Paul Brown Stadium over the next five years, and baseball's Cincinnati Reds will pay $2.2 million for Great American Ball Park.

But, in addition to this magnanimous jesture by the sports franchises, the Hamilton Co commissioners voted for a $13.5 Million reduction in the property tax rollback. So the sports teams kick in $9.6 million and the citizens $13.5 million. Seems fair to me.

Excuse me, on second look it appears the Bengals will pay $7.4 million over 5 years or $1.5 million per year. If the Reds is per year (not qualified), then the sports franchises kick in $3.7 million per year and the citizens $13.5 million.

How long before we tell these Sports Franchises we cannot afford to keep them in our community?

[kjbrill]

The more I consider this, the more upset I become. Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears this gesture by the sports franchises mounts to less than they pay one star player per year. I am sure many on this forum would have liked such a sweet business deal when we were younger.

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

How long before we tell these Sports Franchises we cannot afford to keep them in our community?

And how much money do these franchises pump into our community? The economic impact - not to mention priceless national publicity - generated by the Reds and Bengals is incalculable and irreplaceable.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by abr7rmj

And how much money do these franchises pump into our community? The economic impact - not to mention priceless national publicity - generated by the Reds and Bengals is incalculable and irreplaceable.

The only thing they pump money into is their own coffers. We need the pubicity they bring us like a hole in the head, with the Bengals the laughing stock of the league. All of this talk about their economic impact is BS, they are costing us more than they bring. It is a sweet, sweet deal for them and a drain on the public. You are right about it being incalculable as it is all speculation. As far as irreplaceable other cities seem to do without them just fine.

[grmasterb]

I don't think Cincinnati is bending over any more for its sports franchises than nearly every other major league sports market its size does.

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

The only thing they pump money into is their own coffers. We need the pubicity they bring us like a hole in the head, with the Bengals the laughing stock of the league. All of this talk about their economic impact is BS, they are costing us more than they bring. It is a sweet, sweet deal for them and a drain on the public. You are right about it being incalculable as it is all speculation. As far as irreplaceable other cities seem to do without them just fine.

Geesh.

Other cities do just fine without pro sports? Like Dayton? Toledo? Knoxville? Grand Rapids? Casper? Anchorage? No Name, Colo.?

Is this what Cincinnati -the 24th largest metro in the U.S. - should strive for?

For 2003, according to a study conducted by the University of Cincinnati, the Reds alone (in a non-playoff year) accounted for an economic impact of more than $253 million in Greater Cincinnati.

http://www.business.uc.edu/PDF/EconEd/2003-EI-1006%20Cincinnati%20Reds%20Impact.pdf (broken link)

Meantime, in 2005, the combined economic impact of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, CSO, Cincinnati Opera, Playhouse in the Park, CAC, May Festival, Taft Museum and a handful of smaller arts organizations such as the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Theater, Kentucky Symphony, Madcap, etc., totaled $196 million, also according to a UC study.

The Economic Impact of the Arts on Greater Cincinnati | Economics Center for Education & Research

So, the economic impact of the Reds alone dwarfs that of each and every arts organization in Cincinnati, combined.

And while the Bengals are having a bad year, they also just recently completed a streak of 57 consecutive sellouts at 64,000+ per game, made the playoffs as recently and hosted a prime-time game on NBC, and as recently as last month, more than 15,000,000 viewers tuned in to see an exciting nationally televised Bengals Monday night game - a night, incidently, that the Great American Tower selected to light up for the first time for more than 15,000,000 sets of eyes.

Finally, you may not care for sports, but there's absolutely no denying the extremely positive vibe felt in Cincinnati this year during the Reds run to the playoffs and last year for the Bengals.

[Wilson513]

All of this carping about the stadiums is, of course, 100% correct. Its just that its more than 10 years too late. The same morons who told us that paying a billion taxpayer dollars was a good idea are here again telling to just spend 128 million (which will end up being 250 million) on a streetcar to nowhere.

I recall the charming renderings showing an attractive couple apparently from out of town carrying department store bags on their way down to the stadiums, and the glowing projections prepared by the University of Cincinnati showing how much money would be made by retaining a sports franchise.

Will we never learn?

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by abr7rmj

And while the Bengals are having a bad year, they also just recently completed a streak of 57 consecutive sellouts at 64,000+ per game, made the playoffs as recently and hosted a prime-time game on NBC, and as recently as last month, more than 15,000,000 viewers tuned in to see an exciting nationally televised Bengals Monday night game - a night, incidently, that the Great American Tower selected to light up for the first time for more than 15,000,000 sets of eyes.

A little off topic but if you caught the Monday Night Football game with the Bengals and Steelers, the cameramen and commentators did an excellent job of capturing images from the city. I recall seeing shots of Findlay Market, the Zoo, and Fountain Square. In between the commercial breaks, the commentators did a nice job of describing the city. It was like a tourism commercial in itself.

But as I do agree that it is important to keep the teams because of the revenue they bring into the city, I also feel the teams should give back more than they do now. It's only fair since we have built two nice stadiums for them. What really burns me is the attitude from the teams - more from the Bengals as if we should bow down to them or they will pack up and leave. My feeling is that I paid taxes and gave them a stadium. What have they given me? A championship? Discounted tickets?

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

All of this carping about the stadiums is, of course, 100% correct. Its just that its more than 10 years too late. The same morons who told us that paying a billion taxpayer dollars was a good idea are here again telling to just spend 128 million (which will end up being 250 million) on a streetcar to nowhere.

I recall the charming renderings showing an attractive couple apparently from out of town carrying department store bags on their way down to the stadiums, and the glowing projections prepared by the University of Cincinnati showing how much money would be made by retaining a sports franchise.

Will we never learn?

Wilson... You and I don't agree on everything, but in this we are right on. The public paying for the cost of private business sports franchises just drives me nuts. We can't afford schools and now the police and firemen but we can afford to subsidize the Reds and Bengals. Just who is kidding who?

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

All of this carping about the stadiums is, of course, 100% correct. Its just that its more than 10 years too late. The same morons who told us that paying a billion taxpayer dollars was a good idea are here again telling to just spend 128 million (which will end up being 250 million) on a streetcar to nowhere.

And how many other business are closing their operations in Ohio due to the HIGH TAXATION?

In a few more weeks, American Greetings will probably move from Brooklyn, Ohio to Chicagoland.