Bandits subsidy doubles
May 20th, 2008The Tribune reported last week that the city is now committing $711,000 to improvements at Judson University to allow the Chicago Bandits to play there. This represents more than a doubling of the $350,000 that was initially agreed upon. These improvements are for only three years of play at Judson. It comes out to $237,000 a year. After that, they’re expected to move to a 4,400 seat stadium within Elgin, which will cost us millions more to build and operate.
I’ve noted before that public financing of stadiums has never paid for itself. This is the consensus among the experts who have studied the issue. But a new study (pdf) that came out this year, suggests that it may actually have a negative economic impact:
Interestingly, Humphreys and I[Dennis Coates] found that the overall sports environment—which, as mentioned earlier, includes the presence of franchises in multiple sports, the arrival or departure of teams, and stadium construction—in a given area reduced per capita personal income by about $10. In other words, every man, woman, and child in the metropolitan area was poorer by $10 as a result of the sports environment. (The American 4/04/08)
I ask our councilmen to take that study into consideration when they consider building a stadium for this softball team.
See also:
Making Out Like Bandits
Pro Softball in Elgin…Why?
This dumb adventure won’t have a negative economic impact on the segments of Elgin that matter to the City Council. I’m sure you saw Mike Powers’ statement in the Tribune that the Judson money would go to Elgin contractors who, Mike forgot to note, will then make the appropriate contributions to their favorite politicians. This is just one more example of our City Council taking another page from Chicago’s playbook.
Posted May 21st, 2008 at 12:58 amI don’t question the honor of any of our councilmen. I think they support this because they think it’s something that will be good for Elgin. I don’t agree with them, but I don’t question their motives.
They have a desire to make Elgin a kind of sports center, but they haven’t made a strong case as to whether the returns are going to be worth the investment. I think it’s important to have playing fields for our local teams, but building stadiums and doing deals to bring in pro teams is I think beyond reasonable scope.
The Bandits in Lisle, which is only 35 minute from Chicago and next to Naperville, managed to only get 1,000 spectators. Now in Elgin which is further from Chicago, they are building facilities at Judson to handle 2,000 spectators. I’m not sure where all those fans are going to come from. And I’m not sure if the fans that were in Lisle are going to make the trek out this way.
And then they are talking about a stadium for 4,400 spectators. So I’m not sure how realistic we are if we think we can take a team that had an audience of 1,000 in Lisle and quadruple that in Elgin.
In the short term, there may be some interest because the Olympics are this year and Jennie Finch will be there. But that also means she won’t be in Elgin in 2008. And there’s no saying whether she’s signing with the Bandits in 2009 and afterwards. Furthermore, this is the last Olympics that will include softball. So there will be no future benefit from the exposure of the Olympics.
And the league itself, as Dave Kaptain mentioned, has a shaky future.
Posted May 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 pmSometimes I think members of city councils whether it be Elgin or Elk Grove Village (where I lived for 26 years), have a vision of the city they are serving that includes wonderful amenities like professional sports teams and elaborate stadiums and parks. All they can see is the shining city on the hill….not what it costs the taxpayers or whether it is economically feasible. They become like kings building onto their fine castles, becoming more and more out of touch with the common folk in the city. I don’t doubt the city council’s motives, but I do think they have lost touch with what this is all going to cost and what it will ultimately mean to the rest of us.
Posted May 27th, 2008 at 9:45 pmLike most government subsidies, most of the people in favor of it will be those who benefit. Certainly, ‘Bandit’ fans will benefit. But, before you say “that’s not me”, consider the plans also call for
“The 45-acre entertainment and sports complex could also include two miniature golf courses, gardens, batting cages, restaurants and shops, a Santa’s Village-type amusement park and a 3-hole golf course”.
Living as I do on S. McLean Blvd in Elgin, I would prefer miniature golf, gardens, batting cages, restaurants and shops plus a Santa’s village amusement park to take my 6 & 1yr old children than a regular golf course.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 4:42 pmHaving just driven by the rotting vestiges of the old Santa’s Village a few days ago, I’m amazed that anyone sees a demand for a new version. As for the other wonders on tap - miniature golf courses, gardens, batting cages, restaurants and shops - this all sounds like a sportier, less residential version of that “upscale” development that was supposed to go in at the old Library site. To no ones great surprise (except maybe for Tom Sandor), it turned out there was no market for that pipedream. If there were any serious demand for these amenities - including the opportunity to pay to watch women play softball - the market would provide them. This latest scheme has too much of the odor of the mall that went into downtown Elgin a generation ago as another gimmick for a market that didn’t exist. I’d prefer that the City, rather than getting deeper into the entertainment business as a means of funneling taxpayer money to favored recipients, focus on providing high quality versions of basic city services and thereby attract the sort of competent and progressive middle class residents who can chose and support their own amusements.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pmI would consider the old Santa’s Village an overall success since it functioned for decades. I believe it ultimately failed from lack of reinvestment and proper management (owner got old) rather than a lack of demand. There are a lot of kids in Elgin, and a lower cost “Six Flags” could do well here.
You’re right, that market forces should be left to determine when and where entertainment exist. Unfortunately, subsidies are the norm rather than the exception. Since cities compete with one another, the developers/new businesses/sports arenas/whatever usually gets something.
Please be careful in your rhetoric. The last line could be inferred you believe people that support the subsidy are incompetent, conservative upper (or lower) class residents. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Posted May 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pmAnyone been out to see “our” Chicago Bandits, yet? If so, how was the experience? I was surprised that even with the subsidy and their challenge to build a following, the Bandits believe they can charge prices equivalent to those of the established Kane County Cougars. Odd, too, that they don’t discount the price of ticket sets. It’s 10 bucks whether you buy one, seven or fourteen.
Posted July 8th, 2008 at 5:26 pmI guess I should go for at least one game to check things out. I wonder what would be a good game to attend. If anyone has a suggestion, please post!
Thanks.
Posted July 12th, 2008 at 5:52 amI refer to my comment of May 21. I saw the Bandits as a sleazy deal from the start but certainly didn’t imagine just how bad it was. Even now we don’t know its full depths, but we do know that it will be a long time (and maybe a few election cycles) before we should be trusting anyone connected with Elgin’s Council or management. I do feel sorry for RS and Paula who questioned only the arrangement’s policy and not its ethics. “Welcome to Elgin,” kids. The people we thought were just dopes or grandstanders now appear to be a bit worse. No wonder Keith Farnham thinks it’s a good time to run for public office here because, as a loyal tool of the Chicago machine, he sees that the spirit of Tony Rezko is alive and well on the Fox. Too bad this blog apparently has died because those of us stuck in Peonville are sure enjoying interesting times and at least could be entertained with some color and play-by-play. Maybe Paula and Jessica will pick up the slack.
Posted August 25th, 2008 at 3:52 pmWow, I guess it’s been a while since I made a post. Thought nobody noticed…
:)
Posted August 27th, 2008 at 5:48 am