ASHEVILLE MAY PURSUE A BOND REFERENDUM FOR NOVEMBER 2009 WHICH MAY INCLUDE CIVIC
CENTER! FOUND THIS OUT AT THE LAST CIVIC CENTER COMMISSION MEETING.
The old marquee's front has blown off and discussions are underway to replace
it. The new Civic Center Director, Sherman Bass, wants a new electronic
marquee. City Council might object as currently an electronic sign is
against the current sign ordinance. I suggested at the recent Civic Center
Commission meeting pursue solar panels as a way to get support for them.
Also, Coke gets pouring rights extended for one more year, however, it was also
announced the ritual renewals are ENDING after next year, meaning Pepsi could
come to the Civic Center the second half of 2009!
Maybe there's a possible link-up with Pepsi or Coke to a new marquee sponsorship
deal? Or some other sponsor like a Mountain 1st Bank, Ingles, or some
other large local business? Stay tuned...
Imagine if they had this integrated, to show videos of games on televisions
at the concession stands, so you won't miss a moment of action.
Now imagine if the Civic Center and Kimmel Arena had this for streaming
events on the internet.
Former Asheville
Tourists owner Woody Kern has become a major partner of Revolution Enterprises,
LLC, a new sports management group that will offer multiple team ownerships in a
market for different sports!
That would have
advantages if it works out, I've arguing for years that minor leagues need to
offer multiple sports. Having one owner for multiple teams in a city gets
more control of a venue, better rent and insurance overall, less staff overhead
(you're not wasting a ton of money for one sports for a few months), fans aren't
hostile to fans of other sports, better ad deals for sponsors, etc.
REMEMBER ANDREW HAINES, THE GUY WHO BROUGHT US THE AIFL AND THE
CAROLINA GHOSTRIDERS? THE DISGRACEFUL, SO-CALLED "INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE"
THAT LASTED TWO WEEKS IN ASHEVILLE? THE SAME LEAGUE THAT JILTED SEASON
TICKET HOLDERS, SPONSORS, AND HOTELS? WELL, ANDREW HAINES DIDN'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. HE STARTED
THE MID-ATLANTIC HOCKEY LEAGUE, WHICH JUST RECENTLY FOLDED MID-SEASON.
WORD WAS SEVERAL PLAYERS WERE NOT PAID FOR TWO MONTHS!
WHAT'S WORSE, STORIES ARE BREAKING THAT HIS OWN TEAM TRASHED A
LODGE IN JAMESTOWN THAT HAINES HAD LEASED FOR THEM TO LIVE IN, CAUSING OVER
$25,000 IN DAMAGES. POSSIBLY FIVE OF THESE THUGS
PLAYERS MAY BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED. WHEN WILL THE MEDIA FOLLOW THIS GUY, WHO IS STILL TRYING TO GET
OTHER CITIES TO JOIN THIS LEAGUE?
Another year goes by, another year with no
resolution to the Civic Center. There was talk of a
transfer of the Civic Center to Buncombe County, but at the last moment, it fell apart.
But an interesting development announced
recently creates an opportunity to finally solve this regional
albatross. The WNC Agricultural Center recently announced a $5 million package from the State to build a log
cabin meeting center, generally believed long overdue. In the September
9th story in the Asheville Citizen-Times, it was stated that future
plans included “building another multipurpose building on the
fairgrounds.”
Members of Asheville City Council
correctly stated that they could possibly build a racetrack, on property
they own near the airport, with or without the blessing of the Towns of
Fletcher and Mills River. Well, it is now just as
obvious with this recent announcement that the State, if desired, could
circumvent the City and build a sports arena. It just takes changing what
“multipurpose” means in their plans.
Such a building would actually benefit
Asheville, as they seem to care far more about concerts and trade shows in
the current Civic Center arena than sports (for
example, changeover costs from concerts to hockey were absurd). They even
approved a plan to remove locker rooms in a couple of years anyway, so
sports teams won’t be there long-term. If the State were to build such a
venue at the Agricultural Center, the City
would only have to spend enough to renovate the arena for concerts and
trade shows, what their downtown cares about, and build their performing
arts center near City Hall. It actually could be far less expensive than
their Heery plan, which would have jammed everything in one building, with
difficult changeover and obscene rent.
As to the building, it does not have to be
a gigantic “Bi-Lo Center.” Such a building isn’t
sustainable in Greenville and wouldn’t work here. A modest 5,000 seat
facility built correctly would be more suitable. Such a building is being
proposed in Watertown, New York. It is a concrete dome and it CAN be done
for only $10 million with the right vision. (Compare that to the
$millions considered for just a “green roof” at the Civic Center. Nothing is more “green” and cost-efficient than a concrete dome.) FEMA
funding is possible as a regional disaster center. Naming rights could
pay about 15-20% of it.
Best of all, sports teams aren’t the “red-headed
stepchildren” anymore. I’m sure the successful World Indoor Football
League would love to come here. So would the Southern Professional Hockey
League. The proposed team from the United States Basketball Association
would need a venue in a couple of years. And especially something like
Arena Racing USA would fit perfectly as a summer circuit. (
www.arenaracingusa.com ) Imagine indoor racing
as a draw during the WNC State Fair. Since the indoor noise is comparable
to the truck shows at the Agricultural Center, it ends the controversy over the proposed racetrack and make both sides
happy. Even with no sports teams, such a building would be a huge benefit
for the airport and State Fair.
Maybe it makes too much sense to work.
But the City doesn’t really desire sports downtown, so why pretend
otherwise? If the City isn’t involved, it only delays their plans at
least a couple of years. I call on all sides to restart the Civic Center
Task Force and start working on this now so by 2008 something can pass
through the General Assembly.
Don’t pass on the Civic Center albatross to our
grandchildren for political reasons.
Dennis Justice
Justice runs
wncarena.com,
a website advocating a regional arena.
Watertown, New York is considering a
$10 million arena with a concrete dome.
It CAN be done without breaking the bank
if Asheville was determined enough....
According to their own repair plan (which is
nowhere close to a longterm solution, but includes immediate repairs like
the roof), the locker rooms, which were not good for sports teams, will be
taken out entirely in 2010-2011. This, along with no plans for a
separate venue somewhere else, seemingly dooms sports teams from ever coming
to the Civic Center. That is, of course, unless there's another
foolish group who wants to bring in a sports team despite the poor history
of sports teams in how they are treated in the Civic Center.
This is real simple, folks. You need five
fields. You have four high school fields (in terrible shape).
Your own capital improvement plan calls for a new high school. Which
means you have FIVE fields you can put artificial turf on. Why waste
more than
$2.2 million on a soccer complex when the same amount can put in turf at the
current four schools? Especially since you'll eventually put in
artificial turf at the high schools anyway? Or does this make too much
sense?
UPDATE: Since then, we now are told a soccer complex would
cost Henderson County $6-11 million, which is total nonsense.
Anybody can suggest a playoff...what we really
need is a major realignment of all I-A college football so every team has at
least a theoretical chance of a national championship.
