Sweetheart deals using public monies to fund stadiums have backfired across the country, causing more drain than gain.
Ken Belson of the New York Times focuses on the example of Cincinnati, where voters approved a sales tax increase to fund building a stadium for the Bengals and the Reds. With sales tax revenue plummeting, the city is left holding the bag for the sports center.
Belson writes, "The teams have not volunteered to rewrite their leases. So in the coming weeks, the county plans to cut basic services, lower its legal bills and drain a bond reserve fund with no plan for paying it back.
'Anyone looking at this objectively knows it's a train wreck,' said Dusty Rhodes, the county auditor. 'I told them they were making a big mistake, but they didn't want to hear me.'
Cincinnati is hardly alone."
FULL STORY: Stadium Boom Deepens Municipal Woes
New Development Continues in Wrigleyville
New mixed-use projects bring residential units, retail, and entertainment venues to the neighborhood surrounding Chicago's Wrigley Field as stadium-adjacent development grows in popularity.
When Publicly Funded Stadiums Gut Neighborhoods
In Atlanta—and throughout the country—city politicians have proven willing and eager to support stadium construction. But though these facilities are marketed as economic drivers, they often cause steep declines instead.
Publicly-Funded Stadiums Bad Deal for Cities
Sports teams often coerce cities into contributing public funds toward the building of new stadiums. Numerous reports indicate that it's a bad deal for cities with little to no positive economic impact, writes Neal DeMause.
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