"The impact is phenomenal," Wedeen said in a recent interview. "This is really an economic-stimulus package that invests in a smart, sound industry."The impact to the tax payer is obvious... higher taxes. As for whether or not the arena without-a-team business is a "smart, sound industry"... we beg to differ. More to the point, Wedeen would have the City of Albuquerque follow the "City of Vision's" lead and build an arena that loses money. If that weren't enough, Wedeen and his group would have the city go into the hospitality business by building a publically funded hotel.
Business leaders also want more analysis of whether the project would generate adequate operating revenue and question projected attendance figures for minor league sports teams that would play in the center.You know you've got problems when even the Greater Chamber of Commerce has reservations about your business plan. Worse an attempt by private investors to build a downtown arena has already failed because no one would give them the money. And that was back when they were giving money away to people who could never pay it back.
The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce wants a more detailed financial analysis before announcing whether it would support such a project.
This is a plan that only an advertiser would try to sell. An undersized arena with no proven anchor tenant next to a perpetually struggling convention center. If Wedeen is so taken with the idea then he should put together an investor group, build it with private money and prove us all wrong. If he's successful, he'll be fabulously wealthy (at least until Obama and Co. get a hold of him) and he should be.
There are 400 MILLION reasons not to build a new Downtown Boondoggle and each one comes from "investors" who have no direct control over the enterprise. Talk about greed! When someone asks for their dream to be built not through their own efforts and abilities but on the backs of his fellow citizens... that's greed and the worst kind of greed.
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12 Facts About You.
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I agree, if the Chamber is against it then anyone with half a brain would know it is a bad idea. The Chamber usually sides with terrible business decisions (Terry.)This sounds like Smarty would benefit, go figure.
Enough already!!! A downtown arena, especially funded by the city, is simply dumb.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: there had been talk about a possible arena being built with the renovations at Winrock mall. Doesn't anybody else get that it makes 400 million times more sense to do that instead of downtown?
I don't get the fascination with the Down Town location. I agree that the Tingly location makes much better sense.
It's centrally located.
Lots of parking.
Easier access from I-40.
So what's the advantage of Down Town?
You misspelled Barbour, and don't get your hopes up that this guy who is new to town and a member of the Gray Panthers, http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/hwb/documents/12-8-2007_Gray_Panthers_Comments.pdf, is going to be viable in the District with such a high number of Sandia employees and military retirees.
It will be interesting, but crow will be on the Eye menu regarding Harris, again, on the day after the election.
From downtown, marty could look out from his nest, perched on the 11th floor and say, I made this.
It's all about the dictatorship.
Winrock, YES!
It's a given. Great location, plenty of hotels, eating, parking, Housing is not all around it. Just off the interstate and close to the Big-I.
Tingley?, no way. Horrible venue uless you bulldozed it and the racino and started over. Parking sucks and costs a pretty penny(ies). Where to eat? Hard to get in and out of.
Winrock! What more can be said?
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