For months, press reports have stated emphatically that the total public investment in the proposed new Chicago Cubs spring training facility would be capped at $84 million. Any required funds in excess of this were supposed to come from the wealthy owners of the baseball team. Additionally, this was yet another important fact which the “Keep the Cubs – Yes on 420” campaign has stressed in recent correspondence as part of a ten point manifesto urging residents to vote yes on Proposition 420.
On September 29th, City Manager Chris Brady was quoted in the Arizona Republic as saying the new working number for capped cost to taxpayers is $99 million. This 18% increase came about because the city decided to estimate the cost of infrastructure which the city is required to provide for this development. Although the City of Glendale spent $37 million for infrastructure on their Cactus League project, Mesa officials say the cost for the Cubs facility will be far less than the Glendale total. Time will tell.
Is there anything else omitted from the new cost projection? Well, there is the matter of a parking lot for thousands of cars, specifically mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding signed back in January, as being a cost the City of Mesa must absorb in addition to the $84 million and in addition to the infrastructure. Add in the expense of financing all of this, and you are looking at a really, really big number.
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You are not being honest. The costs are capped at $84 million and $15 million. I've read the paperwork myself. The parking is on grass so i don't seae how you assume its so me huge added cost.
ReplyDeleteYou insinuate that there will be some unknown cost overruns above the $15 million. Its capped so it just isn't possible.
We all know Riverview is different than Glendale.
But what am I saying, you will never approve this comment because you aren't interested in a debate.