Readers: Rams Should Pay For Their Own Facility In STL Region

Two-thirds of readers last week thought the Rams should pay for any new facility, but they’d like them to stay in the region. Here were the results:

Q: Arbitrators ruled in favor of the Rams regarding the EJ Dome lease, what outcome would you like now?

1. Rams to pay for their own facility, but staying in the region 134 [67%]
2. For the Rams to move elsewhere 31 [15.5%]
3. Other: 19 [9.5%]
4. City/county/state pay build a new facility 9 [4.5%]
5. CVC/city/county/state pay for the Dome modifications 7 [3.5%]
6. Unsure/No Opinion 0 [0%]

Many of the 19 “other” answers indicated some sort of public-private split:

1. 50/50
2. New stadium financed partially by Kroenke and partially by tax dollars
3. they all pay.
4. Rams, City, County and fans pay for new facility in downtown
5. build a new stadium southwest of busch
6. Rams Owners to pay off the OLD facility, then move away to wherever!
7. Public-Private partnership for a new stadium
8. to get the G4 from the NFL and HELP pay for the NEW DOME in STL
9. Rams pay majority to rehab the Dome. Must get more use out of a 17 yr old bldg.
10. It will be a combination of city / county / state / NFL & Rams money – new stadi
11. Los Angeles Relocation
12. Move to Maryland Heights
13. Rams build stadium on illinois riverfront
14. city state and rams pay. keep stadium downtown
15. Agreement for both parties to contribute to a new stadium not downtown
16. Rams and CVC/city/county/state pay for Dome modifications
17. Stan signs long term lease with no changes needed to current dome : )
18. Rams, NFL, CVC/city/county/state pay for facility
19. Rams stay, hybrid financing – team + NFL + taxpayers

So why didn’t I include such an option in the poll?

CVC leaders immediately said that it was unlikely the state, St. Louis city and St. Louis County would agree to such an expense. The three are still paying a combined $24 million a year toward the bonds taken out to build the Dome. (stltoday.com)

Because we haven’t paid for the facility we have! The bond holders still expect to get paid regardless of where the Rams play after March 2015. If the Rams want to pay off the remaining debt on the Edward Jones Dome then I suppose some sort of shared effort to finance a new facility could be discussed.

The one topic I’ve not seen covered in all this is the PSL – personal seat license. The City of Charlotte is going through a very similar process with the Carolina Panthers:

Belong Forever.

That’s the Carolina Panthers’ marketing campaign to persuade fans to buy Permanent Seat Licenses, which gives someone the right to buy season tickets for a “lifetime” of football at Bank of America Stadium.

But as the team negotiates with the city of Charlotte for $125 million in public money for stadium renovations, some fans have questioned what their PSLs guarantee them.

The truth: A PSL is only permanent and forever for as long as the team stays in Bank of America Stadium. (Charlotte Observer)

Does it make a difference to Rams PSL holders if the dome gets a major overhaul versus building a new facility in Fenton, for example?

The only site  I can think of in the City of St. Louis large enough for a football stadium is the former Pruitt-Igoe public housing project at Cass & Jefferson.

— Steve Patterson

Poll: What Outcome Do You Want With The Rams And The Dome?

On Friday arbitrators ruled in favor of the St. Louis Rams — the CVC’s proposal was insificient to make the Edward Jones Dome a “top tier” facility. They didn’t create a new plan but favored a proposal put forth by the Rams last year:

If the CVC does not meet that plan, however, the Rams and CVC will go to a year-to-year agreement, but the team could still leave town after the 2014-15 season. (KSDK)

So now what? Many options still exist:

• The CVC could try to get city/county/state funds to rebuild the dome per the Rams proposal, though highly unlikely
• A new stadium could be built somewhere else in the region funded by taxpayers and/or the Rams
• The Rams could pack up and leave the St. Louis region in two years.

The poll question this week wants to know what outcome you’d like to see happen. I personally want to see the Rams use their own money to build a facility in the region, the site of the former Chrysler plant in Fenton is often suggested.

Why? I don’t want the Rams to leave because I don’t want to hear the moaning about us not having an NFL team, heard enough of that in the early 1990s. But I also don’t want taxpayers to foot the bill for another facility, especially since the current facility hasn’t been used for even 20 years yet.

The poll is in the right sidebar.

— Steve Patterson

Political Engagement & Social Media

Real action is needed to bring about change, it doesn’t happen on Facebook and blogs. That was the message at the City Affair panel discussion on political engagement held Thursday evening. Didn’t here about it? I knew because I got invited via a Facebook event (link). I posted a pic on my personal Facebook timeline when I checked into the event as well as on UrbanReviewSTL’s Facebook page and twitter account.

Yes, being on social doesn’t create change but it does a great job of making connections. But it is true, until like-minded people get tother in the same space nothing much happens. Social media also expands the awareness of an issue, increasing the likeliness of reaching enough people to ignite action.

Earlier this week an Intercontinental hotel in Egypt tweeted when it came under attack (story). Two years ago the world watched as people toppled the government of Hosni Mubarak. Tweets by themselves aren’t going to create sustained change.

But back in St. Louis I find Twitter is the simplest way to report a problem to Citizens Service Bureau (@stlcbs). Ok, it isn’t overthrowing a 30 year dictatorship but it is a citizen getting his government to respond.

The discussion of action items after Thursday’s event is taking place on…Facebook.

— Steve Patterson

Michelle Hutchings-Medina For 5th Ward Alderman

This post is about the 5th ward but first I want to mention that at 7pm tonight (1/29/2012) a mayoral candidate forum will be held at the Central Library (info). All four candidates were invited, three democrats and one green. Hope to see you there.

As a 5th ward resident I recently received a mailer, a “Good Neighbor Guide”,  listing phone numbers for various city departments. Inside was a message from  Ald. Tammika Hubbard, part caught my attention:

Sounds pretty good — but it’s a complete fabrication. Hubbard didn’t “spearhead” these at all, this taxpayer-funded mailer is meant to trick my fellow 5th ward voters into thinking she accomplished that which was done while predecessor April Ford-Griffin was in office.

Here are the facts, in chronological order:

• February 17, 2011: Application is made to rebuild McDonald’s at 1119 N. Tucker (permit info found here)
• July 12, 2011: Application for new National Sales Co. HQ made, permit issu
• July 14, 2011: Building permit issued for new McDonald’s
• August 16, 2011: Application made to demolish old McDonald’s
• August 24, 2011: Demolition permit for old McDonald’s issue
• September 1, 2011: Demolition of old McDonald’s completed, permit closed.
• September 16, 2011: Ald. April Ford-Griffin announces resignation from the Board of Aldermen, appointment to serve as director of the city’s Civil Rights agency (source)
• September 30, 2011: April Ford-Griffin’s last day on the Board of Aldermen (source)
• November 22, 2011: McDonald’s building permit completed
• December 1, 2011: McDonald’s on Tucker reopens (source)
• December 13, 2011: 5th ward candidate forum held at Vashon High School, Hubbard is the only one of the three candidates on the ballot to NOT show (source)
• December 20, 2011: Special election held to replace April Ford-Griffin, turnout was 10.4% (results)
• January 6, 2012: Tammika Hubbard sworn into office
• January 26, 2012:  National Sales Co. announces it’ll start moving employees into new headquarters next month, February 2012 (source).

The McDonald’s reopened nearly three weeks before the special election was held! National Sales Co.’s headquarters was nearly finished by the time Hubbard was sworn into office. This kind of politics really annoys me. Sorry Tammika, we’re smart enough to know better.

Hubbard’s major accomplishment in her year in office was a bill adding The Bottle District to Paul McKee’s NorthSide Regeneration, not surprising considering:

Hubbard is the daughter of Rodney Hubbard Sr., a longtime north St. Louis politico and executive director of the Carr Square Tenant Corp., the nonprofit that runs the Carr Square housing development.

And the tenant group owns a 2.5 percent stake of NorthSide Regeneration LLC, the McKee-led holding company that is proposing the project — much of which is in Hubbard’s 5th Ward — and has sought nearly $400 million in city incentives to help do it. (stltoday.com)

Unlike in the special election, we have an exciting & qualified candidate on the March 5th ballot for the 5th ward: Michelle Hutchings-Medina. I first met Michelle last year at 5th ward event, I was immediately impressed. I’ve since gotten to know her better and can say I’m not casting my vote against Hubbard, I’m voting FOR Michelle. She has presence.  She has ideas. She listens to various viewpoints. She is trustworthy. Michelle Hutchings-Medina is a leader.

The entire city should work to elect Michelle Hutchings-Medina to the Board of Aldermen, it needs more people like her working for a better city, not in the interest of just her family. Voter registration deadline is February 6th and absentee voting is open now.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: No Consensus on St. Louis’ State of Race Relations

In the poll last week 40.99% thought race relations were improving while 29.19% thinks they are declining with almost as many (21.74%) indicating they are holding steady:

Q: The State Of Race Relations In St. Louis Are…

1. Improving Slowly 62 [38.51%]
2. Holding Steady 35 [21.74%]
3. Declining Slowly 29 [18.01%]
4. Declining Rapidly 18 [11.18%]
5. Unsure/No Answer 13 [8.07%]
6. Improving Rapidly 4 [2.48%]

While I think overall race relations are slowly improving, we’ll unfortunately see a rapid decline between now and the March 5th primary election. Regardless of which candidate prevails in the Democratic primary and April general election I hope we can all come together.

— Steve Patterson