Site relocation eyed to resolve stadium safety issue
August 2, 2001
ARIZONA STATE CONSIDERING STADIUM UPGRADE
May 6, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
As the Arizona Cardinals begin making plans to move out of Sun Devil Stadium and into a new venue of their own, Arizona State University is announcing plans for a $200 million stadium renovation. A group has been working since last October on a plan for the renovation, but has not settled on a financing plan. One option would be to create a stadium district as was done for the Cardinals and the Phoenix Coyotes who plan a new arena in Scottsdale.
The plan calls for a three phase approach that begins with upgrading escalators, ramps and concourses, improving restrooms and concession stands and bringing plumbing and electrical systems up the level needed to support the stadium. An exterior renovation may also be part of the work.
The second phase would replace bench seats with backed seats and increasing seating. The loge level would also be enclosed.
The final phase would create picnic and family areas on the ends of the stadium along with game areas and retail shops.
School officials say the work is not because of the possible loss of the Cardinals and the rumored move of the Fiesta Bowl, but the need to bring the facility up to the standards of other schools in the conference and be a competitor to other venues in the region.
FIESTA BOWL CONSIDERS NEW CARDINAL STADIUM
May 6, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
With a public vote only a few weeks away, Fiesta Bowl officials have endorsed a plan by the Arizona Cardinals to build a new stadium as part of the Rio Salado Crossing project. While the bowl did
not make a commitment, officials suggested they could consider the new stadium as a possible site for the bowl and leave Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium. Voters in Mesa, where the new
stadium is planned, will soon be asked to approve a one quarter of one cent sales tax to help build the stadium.
Bowl officials say the new development, which would include retail, hotel and meeting facilities as well as the stadium, would be good for the bowl. In a news release, bowl officials said, "It is
increasingly clear that the recent wave of new facilities built or planned around the nation could be a threat to our very existence ... The Rio Salado Crossing project will allow the Fiesta Bowl to continue its
economic impact as a major destination for fans across America."
The Cardinals are proposing a 67,000-seat covered venue. Polls show voters are evenly split on whether to support the tax.
GOVERNOR PLEDGES HELP IN CARDINAL STADIUM PROJECT
May 27, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Arizona Governor Jane Hull has pledged to help the Arizona Cardinals in their effort to build a new stadium. Voters last week rejected a plan to build a stadium and commercial project called Rio Salado Crossing. Since the defeat there have been rumors that the team could move, although team officials have not made that threat.
Hull did not offer any specific proposals, but said she is open to considering all alternatives. She also called team officials to offer her support.
ARIZONA CARDINALS SAY STADIUM REPORT IS WRONG
June 17, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Arizona Cardinals say reports that they are planning a new $320 million stadium funded by the team, user fees and tourism taxes are inaccurate. The team lost an election last month to help fund a new stadium and they say fans should not get their hopes up that a new stadium plan is in the wings, although team officials acknowledge that the team is exploring its options.
Reports said the plan had been given to legislative officials for review, but they could not be reached for comment. Several communities have also expressed interest in hosting the stadium, but say it would have to be done without a major investment of public dollars.
ASU COOL TO IDEA OF RAZING SUN DEVIL STADIUM
October 28, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
A proposal by a city councilman to raze Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ and build a new stadium to host the university, NFL Cardinals and the Fiesta Bowl, has drawn a
cool response from university officials. The councilman, Hugh Hallman, believes it is a good solution to the university's desire to upgrade its stadium and the city's hope to
capitalize on real estate.
Arizona State University is putting details of a stadium renovation plan together that would cost $150 million while the Cardinals have indicated willingness to invest up
to $75 million in a new venue. A proposal for the NFL team to build a stadium along with a commercial development was rejected by voters last spring.
ARIZONA CARDINALS GAINING MOMENTUM IN STADIUM FIGHT
October 5, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
A new poll show the public is warming to the idea of helping fund a new stadium for the Arizona Cardinals. The poll shows only 44% in favor to 46% opposed, but that is
significantly closer than in earlier polls. The remaining 10% is undecided. The poll has a margin of error of 4%, making the race a dead heat. It was commissioned by KAET-TV and Arizona State University.
Another poll two weeks earlier showed 38% in favor of increasing hotel and car rental taxes to fund the stadium and provide money for promotion local tourism and
Cactus League facilities.
The new poll found the support to be soft with those in favor saying they did not feel strongly about their positions. Those opposed said they were firmly opposed. That
leaves supporters the task of winning over undecided votes and making sure those in favor actually show up to vote.
The Cardinals have invested nearly $530,000 in a promotional campaign designed to win voter support. The campaign will continue until the November ballot, focusing
attention on the fact that the cost of the projects will come mostly from non-residents.
ARIZONA CARDS SEEK REVENUE FROM PROPOSED STADIUM
October 12, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
The preliminary lease drawn for the new stadium proposed for the Arizona Cardinals gives the team revenues from luxury suites, club seats, concessions and
advertising signage while passing operational and maintenance costs to the Tourism and Sports Authority. Voters will decide on funding for the stadium next month.
The framework lease agreement requires the team to pay $250,000 a year in rent and for the team to pay $85 million toward the cost of the $331 million stadium.
Earnings from stadium events other than NFL games go to the authority. The Fiesta Bowl, which will also share the 73,000-seat stadium, gets revenues from its events.
In other news this week, Mesa voted to join Tempe in a joint proposal to host the new stadium. The agreement, however, came with conditions.
The Mesa City Council said it may want to ask its own voters whether they wish to invest money in parking and other site preparation costs. The two cities jointly control
land that will be offered to the stadium district as a possible stadium site.
ARIZONA TRIBE SEEKS CARDINALS' STADIUM
October 19, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
An Arizona Indian tribe that once sought to bring minor league baseball to its reservation is now going after bigger fish - the NFL and a new stadium proposed for the
Cardinals.
The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation is offering land, infrastructure and a much streamlined permitting process for the stadium. The major drawback to the site is its lack
of easy freeway access.
The tribe earlier offered the Los Angeles Dodgers $40 million toward a new 12,000-seat ballpark that to be the site of the team's spring training and its Vero Beach, FL
farm team. The venue would have included six practice fields and offices and would have required a 25-year lease from the team. The Dodgers later decided to keep its
team in Florida and struck a deal with the city there for stadium improvements.
The Yavapai Nation operates a nearby casino and they believe having a stadium there would help draw patrons to the gambling establishment. A competing tribe has
the same idea and is attempting to draw the Coyotes' new arena to its reservation. (See story in arena section)
Supporters of a proposed new stadium for the Cardinals hope voters will support the issue in an election next month if they know the venue will be used for more than
just 10 football games a year. The $335 million, 73,000-seat stadium is being positioned as a multi-use facility.
Critics say the venue is too large for many events and it is not supported by restaurants and other surrounding businesses that help make multi-use buildings a
success.
As proposed, the building would host up to 15 non-football events a year. The plan says those events would generate $77.8 million over 25 years. The Fiesta Bowl,
which will also be played in the stadium, would generate another $16.7 million. Supporters are also hoping to attract a Super Bowl to the stadium.
FIESTA BOWL WOULD ADD TICKET FEE TO HELP FUND STADIUM
November 2, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
A fee of up to $10 per ticket would be charged to Fiesta Bowl fans to help pay for a new stadium that would also serve the Arizona Cardinals. Voters Tuesday will decide on a stadium proposal.
A portion of the stadium's cost would be funded by the Fiesta Bowl which will get its money from a $2.50 fee, plus taxes on the ticket price. The fee would increase by 20 cents per year for 30 years.
The game's tickets, which had previously be exempt from sales taxes, would lose that privilege with the money becoming part of the bowl's contribution. In exchange, the bowl would get all parking
and concession revenue along with its sponsorship and broadcast fees. The bowl could also lease 32 of the 86 stadium suites and the Cardinals would market the remaining suites. The bowl would get
the revenue from all the suites.
PRO SPORTS PLAYERS TO PAY $4 MILLION IN ARIZONA TAXES
Professional athletes would add about $4 million a year to state coffers if Phoenix-area voters say yes Tuesday to a bill that helps fund a new $335 million stadium for the Arizona Cardinals. The
money would be part of a $1.8 billion proposal that runs for 30 years. Athletes from all sports, not just football, would be taxed on salaries earned while in Maricopa County. Income tax from all
Cardinals employees would also be diverted to help repay the state's investment.
State officials say the provision will be difficult to implement, but it is a job that can be done. A total of 18 states allow taxing of professional athletes salaries, but not all collect those monies.
Second chance in Phoenix
The Arizona Cardinals will ask voters a second time to approve funds for a new stadium. The $331 million stadium proposal includes $85 million from the Cardinals who increased their investment from $75 million to meet objections from Senate lawmakers. The rest would come from a proposed hotel and car rental tax increase applying only to voters in Maricopa County. Income tax money from player salaries would be used as would $10 million from the Fiesta Bowl. Funds would also have been spent to promote tourism in the county and to help support the state's Cactus League.
The Cardinals were able to avoid game-day expenses on the new 73,000-seat stadium, with those expenses going to the public. The move is expected to save the team $14.3 million. The team will also receive all stadium revenue and naming rights earnings.
The issue goes to voters without a site for the stadium. Mesa and Tempe have joined together to propose a site while other developers have approached the stadium district with their ideas. The district board has declined to name all those making proposals.
One contender is the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation which is offering land, infrastructure and a much streamlined permitting process for the stadium. The major drawback to the site is its lack of easy freeway access.
The tribe earlier offered the Los Angeles Dodgers $40 million toward a new 12,000-seat ballpark that was to be the site of the team's spring training and its Vero Beach, FL farm team. The Dodgers later decided to keep its team in Florida and struck a deal with the city there for stadium improvements.
The Yavapai Nation operates a nearby casino and they believe having a stadium there would help draw patrons to the gambling establishment.
Phoenix also faces a voter-driven initiative that requires a vote before $3 million or more is spent on sports facilities. That could mean another election over the stadium issue.
A proposal last year to build a new stadium as part of a massive commercial development failed. This issue includes a different financing plan. After the defeat last year, Gov. Hull appointed a citizens task force to review the issue and make a proposal. The bill approved was based on the committee's recommendations, although it did undergo some modifications to win legislative approval.
If this issue fails, many believe the Cardinals could go shopping for another home. One location would be Los Angeles where the NFL considered putting an expansion team. The league could not work out stadium issues there and gave the franchise to Houston, but that has not kept the league from coveting the nation's second largest television market.
Another potential location is San Antonio, Texas where the Alamodome will soon be empty. The current tenant, the NBA Spurs, will be moving to a new arena and out of the huge venue built originally for football.
Arizona Cardinals win stadium bid
November 9, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
Only the presidential race was closer. In Maricopa County, voters approved funding for a new Arizona Cardinals stadium with a scant 2%, and that could be narrowed as
final votes are tallied. As of this morning (Thursday), the issue has passed by 21,717 votes, but there are still 135,000 uncounted ballots. That includes mail-in ballots and
others that must be verified by hand. If the vote holds, the stadium would open in 2004.
Polling showed the issue was losing, but in the final days of the campaign, supporters emphasized the benefits the measure would also bring to tourism and the
state's Cactus League. The effort was also bolstered by the recent decision by the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers to move their spring training facilities to
Arizona. Those moves were dependant upon passage of the increase in hotel and car rental taxes.
The next fight will come over where to build the stadium. Voters approved the measure without knowing just where the venue will be located. Tempe and Mesa have a
joint proposal as do several cities in the West Valley.
The $331 million stadium proposal includes $85 million from the Cardinals who increased their investment from $75 million. The rest would come from a proposed
hotel and car rental tax increase applying only to voters in Maricopa County. Income tax money from player salaries would be used as would $10 million from the Fiesta
Bowl. The Cardinals will receive all stadium revenue and naming rights earnings.
Phoenix also faces a voter-driven initiative that requires a vote before $3 million or more is spent on sports facilities. That could mean another election over the stadium
issue if it is built in the city and money is needed for infrastructure work.
A proposal last year to build a new stadium as part of a massive commercial development failed. This issue includes a different financing plan. After the defeat last year,
Gov. Jane Hull appointed a citizens task force to review the issue and make a proposal. The bill approved was based on the committee's recommendations, although it did
undergo some modifications to win legislative approval.
WEST VALLEY SITE LESS EXPENSIVE FOR NEW CARDINALS STADIUM
With the vote over in Phoenix, the next decision is where to put the new Cardinals' stadium. A new study shows that putting the venue in the West Valley would cost half
as much as in the East Valley.
A group of West Valley communities have banded together to propose locations for the stadium while Tempe and Mesa in the East have joined together with their own
proposal.
The site proposed by Tempe and Mesa would cost $122 million for infrastructure improvements, while in the West Valley, infrastructure was estimated at $56 million.
The West Valley's advantage comes primarily because of the donation of 40 acres by a local businessman.
ARIZONA SEEKS WAY TO KEEP CARDINALS
November 11, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Fearing the NFL Cardinals could decide to leave Phoenix, Gov. Jane Hull has put together a task force to find ways to keep the team in Arizona. The Cardinals share Sun
Devil Stadium with Arizona State University and is seeking to build a new stadium. Voters rejected one proposal earlier this year.
The task force will be able to explore all options, but a new stadium is considered to be one of its major responsibilities. The group will be headed by Mike Welborn, CEO
of Bank One. Hull told the group she wants to minimize public money, especially for those who may not support the idea of a new stadium. If a new stadium is needed, the
group will also be expected to devise a financing plan. The group is to report back to Hull in February.
At its first meeting this week, the group heard from Rick Horrow, an NFL consultant, who said public money would be needed to build a new stadium or renovate Sun
Devil Stadium.
The group will also consider the needs of the Fiesta Bowl which has also said Sun Devil Stadium does not meet its needs and had planned to move into the Cardinals'
new stadium if it had been approved.
Tourism and Sports Authority hires president, starts stadium site selection
process
By Scott Thomsen
Associated Press
January 8, 2001
PHOENIX (AP)--The Tourism and Sports Authority tasked with building and
operating a new football stadium for the NFL Cardinals hired Ted Ferris as
its president and chief executive officer Saturday while launching its site
selection process.
The board voted unanimously to hire Ferris, who currently works as Gov. Jane
Hull's deputy chief of staff. He agreed to a five-year contract that will
pay him a $139,000 annual salary. That's a $14,000 a year increase from his
job with the state.
"Ted Ferris has a real vision for tourism promotion and sports development,"
Board Chairman James Grogan said. "He's absolutely the best candidate for
this job."
Ferris has been extensively involved with the effort to build a new stadium
for the Cardinals. He was a part of the governor's "Plan B Task Force,"
which recommended a package deal to build a stadium, promote tourism,
enhance spring training facilities for professional baseball teams and
develop youth sports facilities. He then lobbied legislators to get the
proposal on the ballot, where it was approved by voters last November.
To pay for the projects, that package raises taxes on hotels and rental cars
in Maricopa County, sets aside tax proceeds from Cardinals players and
employees, and retains taxes collected on construction of the stadium and
facility-related sales once it's built.
The stadium is expected to cost about $331 million, not counting the land
and other supporting improvements that will be needed. The Cardinals will
contribute $85 million to the project, but retain field naming rights.
The stadium would have a partially retractable roof and a grass playing
field that slides out for growing in the sunshine when it's not being used.
It would seat 70,000 fans for regular season games with 7,000 extra seats
for the Fiesta Bowl and any Super Bowls it hosts.
In his new job, Ferris will be responsible for overseeing all activities of
the Tourism and Sports Authority, starting with choosing a site for the new
football stadium.
"It's a tall order to live up to," Ferris said. "I appreciate the challenge
that is before us. I am anxious to go to work, starting now."
Immediately after the vote to hire Ferris, the authority board accepted
formal proposals on five potential sites for the stadium.
They are:
The southeast corner of the Loop 101 and 202 Freeways in Mesa and Tempe.
Land currently owned by Salt River Project in Tempe north of the Loop 202
Freeway near the corner of Priest Road and Washington Street.
Downtown Phoenix immediately southeast of Bank One Ballpark on land owned
by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Fort McDowell Indian Reservation property on the metropolitan area's east
side.
And an undeveloped Avondale site adjacent to the Loop 101 Freeway on the
west side.
Proponents of each spent about 20 minutes outlining their plans and some of
the associated costs their communities may have to pick up, which could add
up to as much as $78 million depending on which site is chosen.
Grogan said the board expects to make a decision in about six weeks, which
would allow construction to begin in time for the Cardinals to start playing
in the new stadium during the 2002 season.
The board will be looking for the best stadium location based on the merits
of the proposals, Grogan said. "The work begins right now."
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - State and city officials revealed a proposal Thursday to
reposition the Arizona Cardinals' new stadium to help resolve air safety
concerns.
Preparatory work for stadium construction was halted July 12 after the
Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns that the stadium might
interfere with planes using Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The FAA believes the $334 million stadium could obstruct flights, interfere
with flight instruments and affect a pilot's ability to react in critical
situations. The agency, however, delayed issuing a final report on the
stadium until Sept. 9.
The state Tourism and Sports Authority and the city of Tempe officials hope
their plans to move the stadium 1,600 feet to the east will address the
obstruction issue.
"The move represents great progress toward making it not a hazard for Sky
Harbor operations," said authority president Ted Ferris. He said it won't
deal with every concern.
Officials also said the move will place the stadium well off the line from
the center of the airport's north runway. The stadium would now be 2.2
miles away from the end of the runway, which is farther than Bank One
Ballpark is from the same runway at the opposite end.
Phoenix had previously promised to sue if construction starts at the Tempe
site. But Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza said the city wouldn't have grounds for
a lawsuit if the FAA says the new site is safe.
"If the FAA determines this is not a hazard, I think we can work through any
and all other issues," Rimsza said.
Gov. Jane Hull said she has been encouraging everyone involved in the
stadium debate to avoid dragging the dispute into court. The controversy
has hurt public opinion about the project, Hull said.
"If the people of Arizona were to vote on this now, I don't believe the
result would be 52%," Hull said.
Tempe and the Cardinals are negotiating to acquire a lease for 12 acres
adjacent to the current site where part of the stadium would stand, Ferris
said. The land is owned by Salt River Project but is leased by Magellan
Real Estate, which wanted to build condominiums there, he said.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano said the
Cardinals would pick up any extra costs.
The Cardinals declined comment. Calls to Magellan Real Estate late Thursday
afternoon were not answered.
Repositioning the stadium would not add extra costs to the project, Ferris
said.
David Cavazos, assistant aviation director for Sky Harbor, wouldn't say
whether the repositioning would address safety concerns.
"We need to defer to the Federal Aviation Administration," Cavazos said.
"They are the experts over whether this development is a hazard to
aviation."
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said he had not received formal notification about
the proposal and wouldn't comment on its merits.
"We've got a good rapport going, so obviously we'll continue working with
both Tempe and Phoenix," Fergus said.
Officials want to complete construction in August 2004, in time for the
start of the NFL season.
Friday, January 8 1999
Cardinals' stadium plan gets go-ahead
Associated Press - TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals and local government officials reached agreement Friday on a plan for a $1.8 billion exposition and recreation center that would include a stadium for the NFL franchise.
The agreement clears the way for a May 18 vote on the public's portion of the plan in the cities of Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek.
Friday's meeting was called after the Cardinals objected to last-minute changes made by the Rio Salado Crossing District Board before it adopted the plan Thursday night.
The board will consider the revised agreement at a meeting Monday night. The Mesa City Council also will consider the proposal Monday night. The town councils of Gilbert and Queen Creek also must ratify the agreement before it can go on the ballot.
"This afternoon's meeting cements the progress made yesterday and includes all of the final details for the term sheet," said Rio Salado board chairman Marty Whalen. "This locks in a tremendous opportunity for the East Valley and launched a partnership between Mesa and the Arizona Cardinals."
Voters are to decide whether to extend an existing quarter-cent sales tax for up to 13 years and whether to create a new quarter-cent, 20-year sales tax to help pay for the 650-acre project, to be known as the Arizona Convention Center.
Among the key terms of the proposal approved by the board:
* The Cardinals get all game-day revenue but nothing from other sporting events.
* The district assumes all operating and maintenance costs for the facility.
* The Cardinals will provide $75 million for construction, but only $10 million in the first year. However, the team will provide an irrevocable letter of credit for the remaining $65 million.
* The Cardinals retain the naming rights for the stadium, but the district will be allowed to name the convention center.
Under the terms worked out on Friday, the Cardinals would be allowed to recoup some capital contributions from any operating surpluses.
The plans include a one million-square-foot convention center that would include a 67,400-seat stadium with a retractable roof. The project also would include hotels, shops, apartments, parks and golf courses.
More than $1 billion of the project would come from private financing. The Cardinals have pledged $75 million.
Those attending the Friday's negotiations included Whalen, Mesa Mayor Wayne Brown, Mesa Assistant City Manager Mike Hutchinson, team consultant Mike Rushman and Cardinals Vice President and General Counsel Michael Bidwill, whose father owns the team.
The session was called by Karen Wittmer, publisher of the Mesa-based Tribune Newspapers, after the Cardinals issued a terse statement objecting to the board's last-minute alterations on Thursday night.
What's a few billion here, there
The Arizona Republic
By David Casstevens
October 1, 1998
The Rio Bravo Casa de Los Arcos Multi-Purpose Stadium, Convention and Entertainment Megaplex will "exceed your wildest dreams," a Tokyo developer said Wednesday.
With America West Arena already six years old and Sun Devil Stadium unsuitable for football, the $11.4 billion project is being praised as the finest facility of its kind and a tourist attraction that will put Arizona on the map.
"We're already on the map," said Rand McNally, president of NO NO NO, a citizens anti-tax group.
Rio Bravo will bring all the Valley's professional sports teams, except the Diamondbacks, under one friendly roof.
It will be home to the Cardinals, Suns, Coyotes, Rattlers, Mercury, Mustangs, Thunder, Sahauros and our newest team, the Desert Mamas of the Women's World Roller Derby League.
The sports complex will seat up to 74,000.
Spectators will be able to view both end zones, both baskets and -- unlike AWA -- both hockey goals.
The retractable roof, blimp hangar and exploding scoreboard make it ideal for Super Bowls.
Bring on the events
Proponents say if Arizona voters approve, the project we will be in line to host Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Games of the LXXII Olympiad, or maybe it's Super Bowl LXXII and the XXXVII Games.
The public/private project is being called a state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind, pedestrian-friendly, community-oriented world-class destination.
Rio Bravo will boast eight hotels, six movie theaters, two 18-hole indoor golf courses, shopping, restaurants, a hospital, a funeral home and prayer chapel, and a 20,000-plot cemetery (beneath the retractable floor, only 200 yards by moving sidewalk from Nordstrom.)
Upgrades include fp/dual-pane windows/pool/parquet entry/mature trees/near schools/must see.
Critics are vocal in their opposition. NO NO NO wonders what's so terrible about Sun Devil Stadium and America West Arena. McNally quotes this passage on page 239 of the Coyotes' 1997-98 media guide:
"Known for its intimate seating as well as its plush dressing room and media areas, America West Arena is a landmark facility . . . the arena remains a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue capable of treating its patrons like invited guests and providing the most pleasurable experience in sports and entertainment spectating."
"What else do they want?" McNally asked. "If they want to build it, go ahead. But not with my money. No, sir. Not a dime."
Revenue streams needed
The Coyotes insist they need to move. Last year fans who sat in the 4,300 obstructed-view seats missed seeing their team score half its goals, not to mention several good fights.
Management claims it must increase revenue so the club can sign players and bring in top free agents.
The Diamondbacks, who lost 97 games and were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race on Mother's Day, make the same argument.
The D-Backs are staying put. And raising ticket prices.
RBCdLAM-PSCaEM backers insist we must proceed. Time is wasting.
We don't want the Cardinals to leave, especially not now. They're tied for the division lead.
And anyone who knows hockey knows that hockey players play their best when they are happy. And nothing short of free dental insurance would make these guys happier than to move into a brand new building where all their fans can see all the action, all the time.
The project is pricey. Even if the public is asked to foot only a third of the cost, that's almost $4 billion.
But a one-cent state sales tax on golf balls and Mexican food should cover it.
We can do it. We can build this thing, and open the palace doors when the Suns take the court in 2002, assuming NBA owners have ended their lockout.
Saturday June 20, 1998
$2.3B Cardinals Stadium Proposed
JERRY NACHTIGAL Associated Press Writer
MESA, Ariz. (AP) - Proponents of a a proposed domed stadium for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals are quick to point out that it would be built with private money. In the end, however, it's far from free for taxpayers.
Business leaders unveiled plans for the stadium Friday as part of a $2.3 billion sports, convention, hotel, office and residential complex in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix.
The plan would require voters in Mesa and Tempe to approve a quarter-cent, 20-year sales tax to raise $320 million for roads, utilities and other infrastructure on the 900-acre site along the Salt River.
The East Valley Partnership, a business association pushing the plan, also said the project would need to keep $169 million in sales taxes from the stadium, hotels and other commerce on the site to pay for development costs.
Wary of lingering public resentment over Bank One Ballpark, the Arizona Diamondbacks home largely funded by a sales tax over which Maricopa County voters had no say, proponents said private funds would cover $1.69 billion of the project. The Arizona pledged $200 million of that.
Supporters said the complex, dubbed Rio Salado Crossing, would transform barren land along the Salt River into a thriving oasis including a 1 million-square-foot convention center, 4,000 hotel rooms, office buildings, parks, golf courses, lakes, retail shops and homes for 12,000 people.
Almost lost among the details: A $299 million domed stadium for the Cardinals with between 67,000 and 78,400 seats. The Cardinals committed $75 million up front to the stadium's cost.
"We believe in this project. We believe we've stepped up to a number that is acceptable to the community and to the voters,'' said Michael Bidwill, the team's vice president and general counsel, who reportedly had pledged on $50 million previously.
The project would straddle the Mesa-Tempe line. The stadium's end zones would be in different cities.
"I think citizens of both communities see the pride in this for the east valley. They have a chance to step up and say we've arrived and get a convention center that guarantees a revenue stream for both cities for years to come,'' said Julie Pace, vice
president of the East Valley Partnership.
Pace insisted the project, modeled after stadium-convention centers in St. Louis and Indianapolis, was not a backdoor attempt to get the Cardinals the new stadium owner Bill Bidwill has sought since he and the Cardinals fled St. Louis in 1988.
Previous stadium proposals suggested and shot down included putting a roof over Sun Devil Stadium, the team's current home on the Arizona State University campus, and building on American Indian land.
Proponents boasted that Rio Salado Crossing would make metro Phoenix a top destination for conventions and would draw Super Bowls and national political conventions. The new project offers more than twice as much exhibit space as Phoenix Civic Plaza.
"We are no longer a top-tier convention market," said Michael Rushman, the lead consultant on Rio Salado Crossing. "In the past five years, only one of the top 200 trade shows in the country has held their convention here."
The Mesa and Tempe city councils must give their blessing to the proposal and appoint members to a stadium district board before it is placed on the November 3, 1998 ballot.
If the complex is approved, construction would begin in 2000 and the stadium would be ready in 2002, supporters said.
Tempe activist Art Kaufman, a critic of the Bank One Ballpark tax, predicted lingering public bitterness over the baseball stadium would doom the proposal. A sales tax to fund Maricopa County jail construction also will appear on the November ballot.
"I feel so confident the voters are sick and tired of being taxed, particularly sales taxes," said Kaufman, who plans to campaign against any new stadium taxes. "If the (Bidwill) family can get $200 million, let 'em get more money from their friends and
suppliers and build their own stadium."
Cards' Stadium on Solid Ground
By Mike Padgett
June 10, 2001
SportsBusiness Journal
Imagine a football stadium supported by 700 concrete stilts built on the side of a mountain, and you've conjured up a picture of the foundation needed for the Arizona Cardinals' new home in Tempe.
The 73,000-seat stadium is so large and has so many parts to it that "it's like building a small city," according to one environmental consultant.
For this project, the "stilts" actually are 700 reinforced concrete columns reaching deep underground, and the "mountain" is the sloping bedrock under the soil.
Some columns could go as deep as 45 feet before hitting rock. Those will be at the south end of the structure. At the north end, the columns will be shorter because the bedrock is closer to the soil surface.
Those are some of the details in a report Tempe-based Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants Inc. is preparing for Hunt Contruction Group. The report should be ready in the coming weeks, GEC principal Donald Spadola said.
The $334 million stadium and multi-purpose facility is planned for 60 acres at the southeast corner of Washington Street and Priest Drive. In recent weeks, GEC crews drilled in several places on the property to determine the depth of the bedrock and to obtain rock samples, as well as confirm the level of the ground-water table.
"We will drill down into the rock, and we will socket [the columns] into the rock 10 to 15 feet," Hunt contracts manager Dennis Gilbert said. "What that does is put the load on rock throughout the whole facility."
GEC senior project manager Tim Anderson said loads will vary from 200,000 pounds on the smallest columns to 5 million pounds on the largest.
"The whole stadium is going to be supported by bedrock," he said. "There is no better material to build a stadium on."
The rock core samples obtained by GEC were subjected to pressure tests at the company's laboratory. The test showed that the rock "is as strong or stronger than concrete," Anderson said.
Spadola said the Tempe site, while challenging because of the slope as well as the angled bedrock, has its advantages. One is the relatively short distance to reach the rock. In the West Valley, where developer John F. Long offered to donate land for the stadium, it could be 80 feet or more from the surface to solid rock, Anderson said.
Once holes are drilled fro the concrete columns, the holes will be lined with steel casings to keep out ground water, sand and gravel while concrete for the columns is poured.
Spadola added that since the stadium is under the flight patter to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the north end of the site will be excavated enough to keep the stadium under the Federal Aviation Administration's 200-foot height limit.
A unique feature of the stadium is that its field will be mounted on rails. The football field will be rolled out of the stadium on a huge structure so the stadium can accommodate concerts, conventions and other activities. Electric motors will move the field back and forth, and hydraulic systems will help start and stop it.
CMX Group Inc. is helping design the retractable field. It will be sod and an irrigation system on a mammoth concrete tray. The field, weighing and estimated 14 million pounds, will remain outside the stadium most of the time to expose the grass to sunlight. Each game day, the 240-foot by 360-foot field will be wheeled back inside the stadium, Spadola said.
One analyst said Hunt and its subcontractors will employ 1,000 workers during construction. Work is to start in August, with completion in time for the 2004 season.
IT'S OFFICIAL - VOTERS APPROVE CARDINALS STADIUM
November 16, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
In less time than it takes to decide the next American president, voters in Arizona have approved funding for a new Cardinals stadium, along with money to improve Cactus League facilities. When the final votes were counted, the issue passed by 4% with a margin of 29,000 votes.
The Cardinals must now go about planning the new $335 million stadium that could open in 2004 and determine where the venue will be built. The location decision will fall mainly to the Tourism and Sports Authority, a body created to administer the money from a hotel and car rental tax increase approved by voters.
The Authority is asking communities interested in hosting the stadium to provide information not only on how they would develop a site for the stadium, but how they would boost other development such as hotels, restaurants and other public facilities. The Authority believes these items will be needed to make the stadium successful.
A site will be selected by February with work to begin late next summer.
