Stephen Griffin, a whistleblower in Rhode Island who is a former executive and investor in a failed youth sports company in Boston, has been predicting trouble for Bell Bank Park since September.
✓ Griffin, an accountant for major firms before becoming an investor, doesn’t think the Mesa project is capable of generating the revenue needed to cover its current obligations.
He said the revenue potential and economic benefits of destination sports facilities like Bell Bank Park have been over-hyped to communities across the country.
✓ That’s also been true in the East Valley, where Mesa and Queen Creek officials have been especially enthusiastic about the park and its future potential as a magnet for visitors to their municipalities. Although some Gilbert officials were concerned about the park’s impact on the town’s Cactus Park sports venue, they too took a broader favorable view of its tourist potential.
✓ . . .Griffin said he is providing information to the Securities and Exchange Commission about Legacy Cares. He shared an email exchange with the Tribune showing communication with Rebecca Olsen, deputy chief of the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit. . .
Whatever the outcome of Legacy Cares’ default and upcoming bondholders’ meeting, a statement Griffin posted in early September to kick off his whistleblowing campaign is resonating today.
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“Whoever said municipal bonds are boring has never been to Mesa, Arizona. Stay tuned – this story is incredible,” he wrote."
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Why people commit fraud and continue down the path of fraud: “I think very few people wake up and decide that today is the day I’m going to misrepresent financial statements or book an arbitrary general journal entry to record revenue. That’s inappropriate. I think it sneaks up on somebody typically, and they start making smaller, inappropriate decisions. And then it’s hard to dig out of those decisions. And then they find themselves at a really significant inflection point, which is, do I raise my hand and acknowledge that this business is not performing the way I’ve been reporting to my board or my stakeholders and bite the bullet and deal with the consequences at that momentO r do I continue to perpetrate?”
Go to >
Stephen Griffin Front Row Seat S1E34 - Sport Lifestyle Network
In this episode of the SLN Podcast, John Peters is joined by Stephen Griffin, someone who’s never been afraid of the numbers. Stephen is a father, husband and worked his way up the corporate ladder as a trained accountant. Stephen eventually found himself helping private equity firms as a forensic accountant of sorts and would go on to work as a board member while helping diligence investment opportunities before ultimately becoming a private investor himself. Stephen later invested in Legacy Global Sports, one of the largest youth sports operators at the time. Legacy, who reportedly generated over $1MM / week in revenues, provided elite programming and events in youth soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and more. Today, Legacy is bankrupt and still under an ongoing criminal investigation by the DOJ. John spoke to Stephen about what went wrong...
✓ REPORT
Default threatens owners’ hold on Bell Bank Park
"The organization that built the $280 million, 320-acre youth and amateur sports complex known as Bell Bank Park in southeast Mesa is in default of its loan that covered the project. . ."
THE BACK STORY
Providence Author Unveils Corporate Greed and Broken Business Ethics in New Book - GoLocalProv
Thursday, November 12, 2020
An inside look at chaotic business in 2020
The new book from Providence-based Stephen Griffin is half John Grisham-esque thriller, and half Harvard Business School case study. And, that is a compliment.
Griffin is the most unusual author, but he is the perfect guide that unveils the inner workings of private equity, corporate greed and failed business ethics in 2020.
The book titled, Front Row Seat - Greed and Corruption in a Youth Sports Company is a fast-paced read.
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Stephen J Griffin
> FROM MESAZONA ARCHIVE
MESANOW: Nation's Largest $280-Million Multi-Purpose Sports-and-Entertainment Complex
From the City of Mesa's non-profit newsroom
Bell Bank Park Officially Opens as Nation's Largest Multi-Venue Sports and Entertainment Complex
ABOUT BELL BANK PARK
Bell Bank Park, a 320-acre world class family sports and entertainment complex, fulfills the mission of Legacy Cares.
✓ ABOUT OAKVIEW GROUP (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports and live entertainment industry and currently has eight divisions across four global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, and Philadelphia).
✓ ABOUT LEGACY SPORTS USA
Legacy Sports USA is the organization behind Bell Bank Park, initially the vision of Randy J. Miller, Chairman of Legacy Sports USA, Chad J. Miller, CEO of Legacy Sports USA, and Olympic gold medalist Dan O'Brien, Director of Performance Training at Bell Bank Park. Legacy Sports USA is dedicated to hosting premiere tournament events for youth sports and offering opportunities for athletes of all ages and at all levels to develop skills and enjoy training and competition.
Bell Bank Park also includes outdoor and indoor team athletic facilities geared to high-energy entertainment, sports venues, and a multi-purpose arena and outdoor amphitheater for live events, family shows, exhibitions, and conventions.
Knocking-The-Hustle In Southeast Mesa/District 6: City Manager Chris Brady Wants To Speed-Up Fast-Tracking for A Water-Guzzling 'Sports Complex'
NOT A SURPRISE: Salt Lake City Developer Gets Go-Ahead for 40-Year Development Rights @ Gateway East
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". . .Early in the pandemic, a grant from U.S. Bank Foundation via LISC seeded RAIL’s effort, providing $20,000 to augment organizational capacity and $40,000 for dispersal as small grants to businesses in Tempe and Mesa.
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02 October 2021
Knocking-The-Hustle In Southeast Mesa/District 6: City Manager Chris Brady Wants To Speed-Up Fast-Tracking for A Water-Guzzling 'Sports Complex'
Holy Bullshit again, Batman! 
Before a single softball is pitched or volleyball served on the under-construction park, the company – partnering with Oak View Group Facilities – already is making back some of its money. 
“The 320-acre complex will be called Bell Bank Park, designed to host youth and amateur sports teams and individual and team training, family fun via events, concerts, youth sports tournaments, and fitness opportunities,” the announcement last week stated. “It will be the largest of its kind in North America.” 
You name it in the sports world, they got it. Indoor and outdoor facilities will host soccer, baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, gymnastics, cheer, dance, obstacle course racing – plus eSports and high-level fitness training.
(OK. and don't forget gambling and betting on the new industry of e-Sports)
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is it’s not just a sports complex but a true entertainment district. There’s going to be something for everyone from 5 to 95, whether you play sports or just want to go out and walk around and hear music,” Legacy CEO Chad Miller told the Tribune in mid-March.
Even before receiving official zoning approval, and even before Mesa officially annexed the former “county island,” Miller’s bulldozers were moving dirt near East Pecos and South Ellsworth roads.
The Mesa City Council gave Miller and company the green light, fast-tracking the construction project.
“As a family-owned company, it’s been especially meaningful to us to connect with the Miller family at Legacy Sports USA,” Bell Bank CEO Michael Solberg said.
Founded in 1966 in Fargo, N.D., Bell Bank now has locations in Arizona, North Dakota and Minnesota and more than $10 billion in assets. Bell Bank also has a “pay it forward” program, giving every full-time employee $1,000 and every part-time employee $500 each year to give as they choose to individuals, families and organizations in need.
“Bell
Bank Park will be a special place to compete and train, and gather with
family and friends to enjoy sports and live entertainment,” Miller promised. And, OVG Chairman Peter Luukko chimed in, “Bell
Bank Park will be the premier destination for aspiring athletes, sports
enthusiasts. It will be the ultimate place to train, play and enjoy
live events.”
> Miller and Luukko already booked tournaments from pickleball to softball, planning to hit the turf running in 2022.
They expect 5 million visitors every year for the area just south of the Eastmark and Cadence communities."
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PROCESS > TRY THIS ONE ON
Massive multisport facility under construction in Mesa gets first general manager, new events
| File #: | 21-0296 |
| Type: | Presentation | Status: | Agenda Ready |
| In control: | City Council Study Session |
| On agenda: | 3/11/2021 |
| Title: | Hear a presentation and discuss a proposed development project known as “Legacy Sports Park”, generally located at the southeast corner of South Ellsworth Road and East Williams Field Road, and related pre-annexation development agreement. |
| Attachments: | 1. Presentation |
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17 April 2022
MESA'S FAST-TRACKED LAND-USE PLANNING CREATES A $90 BILLION-DOLLAR SELF-INDUCED BOTTLE-NECK
Bottlenecks big priority for agency
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"Addressing bottlenecks on the Santan and Loop 101 freeways and adding two rapid bus routes are among the transportation priorities for the county agency that plays a key role in helping people get around Maricopa County.
Audra Koester Thomas, the transportation planning program manager for the Maricopa Association of Governments, said every project on its list is important, but that expanding the number of lanes on the Santan Loop 202 Freeway between the Loop 101 and I-10 as the most important.
Two rapid-bus routes are planned. One would go up Arizona Avenue through the heart of downtown Chandler to Mesa and a light rail transit center and the other between Scottsdale Fashion Square and Chandler Fashion Center.
“The purpose of the route is more about connecting Chandler, Scottsdale and Tempe residents with downtown Tempe/ASU and downtown Scottsdale, along with a connection to either mall at the north/south end and the Chandler Fashion Center,” said Jason Crampton. “Additionally, the route will provide a faster connection to light rail and other regional bus lines in the area.”
That route would travel mostly on Rural and Scottsdale roads.
Another high priority is addressing the rush-hour bottleneck on the Loop 101 between U.S. 60 and the Red Mountain Freeway.
A key to addressing all those priorities is voters passing an extension to Prop. 400, a half-cent sales tax dedicated to addressing the region’s transportation needs. It will likely be included on this year’s ballot in November, although at this newspaper’s deadline, both chambers in the Legislature were considering a bill to put the tax on renewal on this year’s ballot. The current tax expires in 2025.
Thomas said a lot of infrastructure has been built in East Valley since the 1980s and it has helped fuel the growth of Chandler to being Arizona’s fourth largest city.
“That half-cent sales tax is what delivered this network that you see here,” Thomas said, saying there are other projects in the works that will impact Chandler commuters.
“Finishing up the HOV lane, here out east of Chandler, around the Santan, so completing that freeway network,” she said. “Build out of the SR 24 (Gateway Freeway) and the southeast network.”
The mile-long section is an interim four-lane roadway between Ellsworth and Williams Field roads and was completed several months ahead of schedule as part of a partnership between ADOT, Mesa and Legacy Sports USA, which operates Bell Bank Park. The new sports and entertainment complex is southeast of the new intersection connecting SR 24 and Williams Field Road.
The new section is part of ADOT’s $77 million project to build SR 24 as a divided four-lane roadway between Ellsworth Road in Mesa and Ironwood Drive in Pinal County.
The entire five-mile-long project is scheduled for completion later this year. . ."
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