Downtown Arena!

[Dave in Green]

Skip, I think everyone is for an Akron arena, or at least not dead set against one, as long as someone else pays for it.

[skip-zip]

Exactly !! Remember, the other mayor was "for it" also.

[ZippyRulz]

The county had to remove the arena tax issue from the ballot because of the public freakout. So why would any mayoral candidate come out in favor of an arena that might require a tax increase? I don't understand politics (and I don't think the politicians do either).

[Balsy]

The county had to remove the arena tax issue from the ballot because of the public freakout. So why would any mayoral candidate come out in favor of an arena that might require a tax increase? I don't understand politics (and I don't think the politicians do either).

Because they wouldn't attribute it to a tax increase...they'd play the Just-playing-lip-service-without-any-actual-plan-that-will-actually-get-it-done card.

[skip-zip]

Right Balsy. Because the plan to get it done doesn't matter when you are campaigning. There will certainly be many more community improvement that they are "for" right now.

[morris buttermaker]

Veruca Salt wants a downtown arena-- and she wants it now

[K92]

Had to.

[Balsy]

Right Balsy. Because the plan to get it done doesn't matter when you are campaigning. There will certainly be many more community improvement that they are "for" right now.

A plan only matters when you're questioned on it. And if questioned on it, it only matters the level at which the asker is going to follow-up. By the seeming lack of good journalism in Akron, I wouldn't expect it.

Politicians say a lot of things, and never do them. It's to get elected. There's certainly an interest in building a downtown arena (politically, business, and some personal) or the idea would have never have been developed. Of course a politician is going to want to tap that interest.

[Dr Z]

Here is one way to have a nice downtown arena affordably.

[skip-zip]

I'm just mad we didn't have this opportunity to play CSU at the Q before they chickened out and ended the yearly games with us.

[K92]

LeBron should have leveraged his return to the Cavaliers with ownership options. That way he could eventually get a downtown arena built, move the Cavaliers to Akron and the Zips could do what the Vikings are doing. You could even work out a licensing deal with Marvel and rename the team the Avengers and run dynamite promotions for the youngsters all the time.

Akron

has a nice ring to it.

LBJ always said he wanted to put Akron on the map. . .

(I hope there are some realistic scenarios to get the Zips into a new arena, but a lot of times I really doubt it)

[Captain Kangaroo]

media]

Had to.

I'm working on a version of this song, titled "Tailgate with Keener." I think it will be a Lot 9 Anthem.

Here's a sneak peek:

__________________________________________________

Keener drinks neither Miller nor Lite

Keener drinks Allagash Black and White

...

....

....

Tailgate with Kee-ner! Tailgate with Keen-er! Tailgate with Keen-er!

I can see the beer foam mustache on his mouth.

[K92]

I'm working on a version of this song, titled "Tailgate with Keener." I think it will be a Lot 9 Anthem.

Here's a sneak peek:

__________________________________________________

Keener drinks neither Miller nor Lite

Keener drinks Allagash Black and White

...

....

....

Tailgate with Kee-ner! Tailgate with Keen-er! Tailgate with Keen-er!

I can see the beer foam mustache on his mouth.

I lol'd.

[Blue & Gold]

City passes $966 million in 2017 spending plans

 

Akron City Council wrapped up a month of budget deliberations Monday by passing a $375 million operating budget and nearly $590 million in capital projects for 2017.

 

The city is spending $590 million in capital projects this year alone and can't afford to build a downtown arena?

[zippy5]

That's probably why they can't afford an arena

[skip-zip]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

The city is spending $590 million in capital projects this year alone and can't afford to build a downtown arena?

 

I'd certainly be one person who'd like to know what they are building with that money.  

[Balsy]

1 hour ago, skip-zip said:

I'd certainly be one person who'd like to know what they are building with that money.  

 

Well for starters they're taking out a large swath of route 59, I believe that's also part of the new housing and revitalization initiative.  My normal path home is closed because they're currently ripping up a bridge.  There are also plans to renovate and restore a lot of the buildings on Main Street that have that need to be done now, or the buildings are at risk of irreversible structural damage.  There was an article on that a couple of months ago, I can't seem to find it right now, but I believe that was a very expensive proposal that is likely part of this initiative.

 

Edit:  Found the article from the ABJ.  No Values are given for the projects, other than a $5-million grant.  But I'd imagine a lot of the money of capital investment is coming from these related projects.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Balsy

[Joe Akron]

From today's ABJ:

 

The discovery of $500,000 that was “just overlooked” by finance staff and now applied to the new $21.5 million Akron Municipal Courthouse.

 

How does a city that is always crying about money "just overlook" half a MILLLLLLION DOLLARS?

 

Maybe they found another Mayor Don fund??

 

[LZIp]

11 minutes ago, Joe Akron said:

From today's ABJ:

 

The discovery of $500,000 that was “just overlooked” by finance staff and now applied to the new $21.5 million Akron Municipal Courthouse.

 

How does a city that is always crying about money "just overlook" half a MILLLLLLION DOLLARS?

 

Maybe they found another Mayor Don fund??

 

Who knows. Doesn't sound quite as bad as the 10 million that was overlooked in the Parma school budget that was discovered by a parent I might add.

[Blue & Gold]

1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

That's probably why they can't afford an arena

Touche'.

[Balsy]

If you really think about it, there are far more pressing things to be done in Akron than a new downtown stadium.  The logic here has mainly been "if you build it, the other improvements will come" I'd argue, and also the city probably will argue, that a stadium will never be successful unless the downtown is revitalized first.  

 

The revitalization of downtown Akron should not be contingent on whether or not a basketball arena is there for an average attendance of 3,500 people.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Balsy

[skip-zip]

Like I've said all along.  Just keep doing what we can do as fans.  Show our support for the Zips in every way that we can in the City of Akron, and keep buying tickets.  if the City is ever to get on board with this project, it's because they see the benefit.  They obviously don't see it right now.  And that points to things that are beyond our control as well, such as the potential to book other events at such a venue, and whether or not the arena brings other investment to the City.  

 

My Guess?   I still believe that the U of A will eventually just build their own new Arena.  But I'll stick with my projection that something like this is certainly at least a decade away.  And if we do significant renovations to the JAR, that will probably be much, much longer.      

[Joe Akron]

33 minutes ago, Balsy said:

If you really think about it, there are far more pressing things to be done in Akron than a new downtown stadium.  The logic here has mainly been "if you build it, the other improvements will come" I'd argue, and also the city probably will argue, that a stadium will never be successful unless the downtown is revitalized first.  

 

The revitalization of downtown Akron should not be contingent on weather or not a basketball arena is there for an average attendance of 3,500 people.

 

The old mayor tried the "spend it and they will come" theory and we have a nice baseball stadium, a few new bars, tons of student housing and a heavy debt load, even without the money being spent on the sewer project.

My bet is that the administration will try to keep the .25% tax income tax after the last CLC is built.

 

They will need to to pay down the debt load.

[LZIp]

1 hour ago, Balsy said:

If you really think about it, there are far more pressing things to be done in Akron than a new downtown stadium.  The logic here has mainly been "if you build it, the other improvements will come" I'd argue, and also the city probably will argue, that a stadium will never be successful unless the downtown is revitalized first.  

 

The revitalization of downtown Akron should not be contingent on weather or not a basketball arena is there for an average attendance of 3,500 people.

It worked pretty well for the Gateway District in Downtown Cleveland, although obviously bigger numbers there.

Edited February 14, 2017 by LZIp

[skip-zip]

6 minutes ago, LZIp said:

It worked pretty well for the Gateway District in Downtown Cleveland.

 

40+ Cavs games per year.

and

80+ Indians games per year.

 

vs.

 

15 Akron Zips basketball games per year.