Clandestino
04-22-2005, 08:17 AM
Council kicks in $21.2 million for soccer
Web Posted: 04/22/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Travis E. Poling
Express-News Business Writer
Mayor Ed Garza scored $21.2 million in public bond money Thursday to build a youth soccer complex at Brooks City-Base and make improvements to the Alamodome as part of an effort to bring a Major League Soccer team to the city.
The City Council approved the issuance of certificate of obligation bonds, with two council members questioning why the money was being spent on soccer instead of streets and sidewalks.
Last week, Garza got a 9-2 vote from the council to allocate $2.74 million to make the Alamodome more flexible and to prepare it for 20 MLS games a year.
An additional $3.7 million was approved in a "memorandum of understanding" with MLS for a practice facility at Brooks City-Base.
The full plan laid out by Garza on Thursday includes $10.6 million for a 13-field youth soccer complex and $4 million for street improvements, including extending South New Braunfels Avenue.
But Councilwoman Patti Radle, who voted last week for the plan to lure a soccer team, had reservations about the additional money for youth soccer fields and other improvements.
"People in my district say, 'How can we up with $22 million for soccer when we can't come up with money for infrastructure?'" Radle said before voting against issuing the bonds for new debt. "There are people waiting for their sidewalks for 50 or 60 years."
Councilman Carroll Schubert said more money needs to be allocated for parks and streets, and that the city should find ways to work with the private sector to build a youth soccer complex.
"No citizen that I know of voted to spend money on soccer," Schubert said.
The bulk of the money will come from the certificate of obligation bonds similar to those used to raise money to build Wolff Stadium.
The council can authorize the bond debt without a public referendum.
The certificates, which will be paid off over the next 30 years, will be issued in May.
A much smaller portion of the money comes from a $115 million bond election in 2003 that authorized street, drainage, library and park improvements.
"The biggest piece of the soccer investment is in our youth," Garza said. "We're in a pretty desperate situation for San Antonio. Other communities have invested more" in youth soccer complexes.
The Dallas area has about 400 soccer fields, Houston 350 and Austin 290, according to Susan Blackwood, executive director of the San Antonio Sports Foundation.
San Antonio has about 50 fields, and not enough are concentrated in one complex to host major club soccer tournaments.
"Frankly, the number of fields at Brooks City-Base won't be enough" to host tournaments, said Mike Dennis of San Antonio Metropolitan Youth Soccer.
Dean Dahlquist, president of San Antonio's North East Youth Soccer Organization, said large tournaments of up to 500 teams from around the region help generate spending in the city's hotels and restaurants.
Garza said spending money on Alamodome improvements is needed to close a deficit in maintaining the stadium and subsidizing community events, such as high school graduations, that are held there.
Under the agreement, an MLS team wouldn't pay rent in the dome and would get all the revenue from concessions, tickets and parking. The city would get a cut of the money made from team owners selling the naming rights to the dome and advertising signage.
Critics of the plan don't want to see public dollars spent on improvements for a sports team.
But Garza contends that the dome could bring in an additional $600,000 to $1 million in new money to help operate the facility. That money would come from teaming up with the MLS owners to bring new paying events to the dome.
The city must pre-sell 5,000 MLS season tickets by Aug. 17 to have a shot at an MLS franchise in 2006.
Garza said the city would spend $50,000 to $100,000 for the campaign to sell the tickets beginning April 29, and that MLS will pick up $25,000 to $35,000.
San Antonio is seeking a relocated or expansion team in 2006. Local investors in the team are being lined up, but the mayor hasn't revealed what major team owner is involved or who would make the local investment.
Dallas sports industrialist Lamar Hunt, the chief investor/operator of three MLS franchises, is trying to sell the Kansas City Wizards and was the one who approached Garza about pursuing an MLS team last summer.
Web Posted: 04/22/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Travis E. Poling
Express-News Business Writer
Mayor Ed Garza scored $21.2 million in public bond money Thursday to build a youth soccer complex at Brooks City-Base and make improvements to the Alamodome as part of an effort to bring a Major League Soccer team to the city.
The City Council approved the issuance of certificate of obligation bonds, with two council members questioning why the money was being spent on soccer instead of streets and sidewalks.
Last week, Garza got a 9-2 vote from the council to allocate $2.74 million to make the Alamodome more flexible and to prepare it for 20 MLS games a year.
An additional $3.7 million was approved in a "memorandum of understanding" with MLS for a practice facility at Brooks City-Base.
The full plan laid out by Garza on Thursday includes $10.6 million for a 13-field youth soccer complex and $4 million for street improvements, including extending South New Braunfels Avenue.
But Councilwoman Patti Radle, who voted last week for the plan to lure a soccer team, had reservations about the additional money for youth soccer fields and other improvements.
"People in my district say, 'How can we up with $22 million for soccer when we can't come up with money for infrastructure?'" Radle said before voting against issuing the bonds for new debt. "There are people waiting for their sidewalks for 50 or 60 years."
Councilman Carroll Schubert said more money needs to be allocated for parks and streets, and that the city should find ways to work with the private sector to build a youth soccer complex.
"No citizen that I know of voted to spend money on soccer," Schubert said.
The bulk of the money will come from the certificate of obligation bonds similar to those used to raise money to build Wolff Stadium.
The council can authorize the bond debt without a public referendum.
The certificates, which will be paid off over the next 30 years, will be issued in May.
A much smaller portion of the money comes from a $115 million bond election in 2003 that authorized street, drainage, library and park improvements.
"The biggest piece of the soccer investment is in our youth," Garza said. "We're in a pretty desperate situation for San Antonio. Other communities have invested more" in youth soccer complexes.
The Dallas area has about 400 soccer fields, Houston 350 and Austin 290, according to Susan Blackwood, executive director of the San Antonio Sports Foundation.
San Antonio has about 50 fields, and not enough are concentrated in one complex to host major club soccer tournaments.
"Frankly, the number of fields at Brooks City-Base won't be enough" to host tournaments, said Mike Dennis of San Antonio Metropolitan Youth Soccer.
Dean Dahlquist, president of San Antonio's North East Youth Soccer Organization, said large tournaments of up to 500 teams from around the region help generate spending in the city's hotels and restaurants.
Garza said spending money on Alamodome improvements is needed to close a deficit in maintaining the stadium and subsidizing community events, such as high school graduations, that are held there.
Under the agreement, an MLS team wouldn't pay rent in the dome and would get all the revenue from concessions, tickets and parking. The city would get a cut of the money made from team owners selling the naming rights to the dome and advertising signage.
Critics of the plan don't want to see public dollars spent on improvements for a sports team.
But Garza contends that the dome could bring in an additional $600,000 to $1 million in new money to help operate the facility. That money would come from teaming up with the MLS owners to bring new paying events to the dome.
The city must pre-sell 5,000 MLS season tickets by Aug. 17 to have a shot at an MLS franchise in 2006.
Garza said the city would spend $50,000 to $100,000 for the campaign to sell the tickets beginning April 29, and that MLS will pick up $25,000 to $35,000.
San Antonio is seeking a relocated or expansion team in 2006. Local investors in the team are being lined up, but the mayor hasn't revealed what major team owner is involved or who would make the local investment.
Dallas sports industrialist Lamar Hunt, the chief investor/operator of three MLS franchises, is trying to sell the Kansas City Wizards and was the one who approached Garza about pursuing an MLS team last summer.