How many times will MLB threaten a minor league city and then walk back that threat when the deadline passes?
Lately, we have seen virtually every minor league team tell their local jurisdictions that they require millions of taxpayer dollars for upgrades to their ballparks. They require it quickly too because Major League Baseball has given us a date…or else! This forced many cities to give money to the teams without much, if any, examination of the actual details. As Ballpark Digest noted in a story, this is why a number of minor league teams (Knoxville, Hillsboro, and Salt Lake City) got new…
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The Philadelphia 76ers should be embarrassed at their refusal to put more money into the CBA
But what about the changes that will need to be made to the metro system right below this new arena? This metro system, called SEPTA, needs almost $250 million dollars from the state just to stay afloat this year. As the city noted in talks today, SEPTA is in a “financial crisis”. However, if the Philadelphia 76ers want this metro station to be operational for arena events, it will need $30 million dollars worth of upgrades. Is the team going to pay for that? Of course not. The team testified…
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Yet another “historic” community benefits agreement…this time in Chattanooga
In July, the Chattanooga Lookouts, a minor league baseball team, reached an agreement with the city to build a new ballpark. Although the price was originally going to be $79.5 million, the final price tag was actually $120 million. Not to worry, though, as the public contribution amount is capped at…$112 million? Ever since 2022, local groups in Chattanooga have been pressuring local officials to make sure that the community was represented whenever a community benefits agreement (CBA) was…
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The World Cup is going to make everyone billions and billions of dollars
Mexico, the United States, and Canada will jointly host the 2026 World Cup. As the event approaches, cities are getting prepared for the upcoming games. It is rather surprising to see how different cities are reacting to the World Cup approaching. Some cities are outraged at the rising costs, some cities are falling in love with their economic impact projections, and some are just happy to have the games coming to their city. Unfortunately, some cities now realize that the expense of staging…
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Philadelphia CEO has numerous “facts” showing how good a new Philadelphia 76ers arena will be for local residents. Then provides nothing whatsoever.
Like most parts of this proposal, local anger about public transportation comes from the lack of answers by the Philadelphia 76ers. The team initially stated that their transportation plans for the new arena would involve no new parking additions due to “existing lots and garages (being) sufficient”. How on earth could the 76ers think this? Well, they released an estimate that the new arena would bring in 3,700 cars per game, which is quite low. The way they got to that number was by forcing…
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Philadelphia 76ers pinky swear they will prioritize minorities even more
The idea that this Philadelphia 76ers deal can be looked at as privately funded is crazy. Nobody can say whether this project is actually privately funded until all the details of the project are released by the team. We don't know who is paying for the land where the new arena would sit. Furthermore, the 76ers still intend to demand a “tax increment financing deal” that would cut their property tax rates and allow them to take taxpayer money to fund the construction.
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Philadelphia Union swear that this time, the new stadium will be an economic engine for Chester residents
The Philadelphia Union, the local MLS team, will get $250,000 in county tax breaks for their new Stadium, WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Specifically, the Delaware County Council allowed the Philadelphia Union to not pay any county real estate taxes. This lasts for the next 10 years and will be done on a sliding scale that starts at the team being exempted 100% this year and down to 10% at the end. According to the city and not a single economist alive, this should allow for the city to see direct…
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The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays are fighting each other for tourist dollars
When the Tampa Bay Rays do construct a new ballpark, it will be with a significant amount of taxpayer money. For years, it has been reported that the Rays are “willing to finance half of the cost of a new (ballpark)”. How nice of them. But the Rays couldn't build it on their own if they wanted to because their owner isn't wealthy enough to fund such a project. This means the Rays will need as much taxpayer funds as possible.
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In the past, the Philadelphia 76ers have promised to hire locals in exchange for a new facility. They didn’t.
How could this happen? Because the 76ers were not required to hire Camden residents for the practice facility. This happens across the country. This site has written about instances where a sports team promises but does not deliver on hiring local workers. Why didn't the city mandate this before giving out the taxpayer money? Because New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority did not require a community benefit agreement for the Camden project. Just looking into this deal is mind-boggling. For…
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