$PORT$ = Big Biz > Play Ball! The Game Is On, but ...



Marc Garcia/VisitMesa

Amateur sports? Wanna play? Who's gonna pay?
How can The City of Mesa - in a league of its own in many respects - even think about pitching a foul ball to taxpayers to fund the estimated [??] $54-57 Million Dollar cost  for a year-round "youth and amateur sports complex" to be located on part of 1,146.3 acres formerly called Spook Hill Park [anybody else gettin' spooked already] for the larger indoor basketball tournaments and volleyball and cheer and gymnastics and wrestling and  weight-lifting and Taekwondo proposed to a study session of the Mesa City Council recently by Marc Garcia, head honcho for Visit Mesa, a DMO for the City of Mesa?
The operating budget for VisitMesa largely comes from bed-tax revenues [about $1Million] levied on Mesa hotels, motels and short-term lodging for overnight visitors to the area.
It was reported on October 7, 2015 that Grand Canyon University had dropped its plans for expansion in the same area.

Chris Brady, City Manager

Will taxpayers get asked to foot the bill again for floating another municipal bond bill by more increases in sales taxes and increased utility charges?? Probably unlikely since $5.7 Million was pulled designated for parks and recreation and kicked into funding for the Mesa Historical Museum
Short on cash, Mesa stalls parks projects [video and transcript with reporting by Maria Polenta on Oct 20,2015]

The new proposal for youth-and-amateur sports complex got the full press-play last week:

East Valley Tribune
Massive sports complex planned in Mesa by Shelley Ridenour updated on Dec 22
Mesa Independent
Soccer complex proposed by Richard Dyer H. Dyer on Dec 21
KTAR.com
Phoenix suburb getting serious about plans for large sports complex on Dec 28
Arizona Republic
Will Mesa Pay To Play?  by Maria Polletta on Dec 15

The Nations Group whose project groups include charter and private schools, commercial, higher education, and sports-and-entertainment, were hired by VisitMesa to do a
*NEW* City of Mesa Sports Complex Market Feasibility & Economic Impact Study for VisitMesa to promote the DMO's proposal.
Not a surprise - the paid-for study revealed that this project could have significant positive economic impact on the City of Mesa, in part by attracting more visitors and tourism revenues through additional sporting events.
Through multiple interviews and market data discovery, the study recommended:

• 24 soccer fields
• A duel-stadium concept (natural grass and synthetic turf)
• Indoor fieldhouse
• Operations center
• Restrooms
• Parking
• Concessions
• Additional amenities

Probably better to stay on game with professional sports - in just one sport baseball - and in one season - Spring - Last year for MLB Spring Training in Arizona the stats were in and they were good . . .
According to a pair of studies released by Governor Doug Dicey and members of the non-profit Cactus League Baseball Association, spring training baseball has become a driving force in Arizona's economy.
The studies estimate spring training teams and the ballparks they play in now annually generate more than $809 million in economic impact for the state.