The photo graphic neatly merges into an article under the byline of John Wright, the Std-Ex's newest reporter. Although I've read another John Wright story or two on the Std-Ex "back pages" within the last few days, I believe this story is Mr. Wright's front page debut. If this is any example of Mr. Wright's work, I think we're all going to appreciate his further and future reporting, as he familiarizes himself with the issues and politics or our beloved Ogden city.
The article is essentially a historical piece, although it also has a strong government-subsidy pro-development undertone, as should be expected of any Standard-Examiner story, of course. There's also a pithy Bill Parker quote that really sets the tone for this article, and I just couldn't bring myself to leave it out of this post:
"You should have seen that area over in there. It looked like crap," Parker said of the site of the old Ogden Iron Works, northeast of 24th Street and Lincoln Avenue, where the stadium sits. "Without that ballpark, I really don't think any of that other stuff would have taken off like it has."All in all, it's a well-written and interesting article, however; and if you somehow missed the hard-copy version, you can read it online here.
One particular detail in the article caught my special attention. According to Ogden City Comptroller, The Raptors ballclub pays a $70,000 annual lease payment for the ballpark. While I don't know much about professional baseball economics, I'd assume that's a fairly easy "nut" to crack, for a ballteam that draws 3,719 fans to the ballpark, on average, during its 36-game home-stands, at an average ticket price of, say, $4.50 per fan. This assumption doesn't take into account, of course, the fairly high operational expenses that a "travelling" ballclub like the Raptors must certainly bear. Still, it would seem that there's an obvious "commercial reality" in the Raptors' situation.
Having read this information, I couldn't help thinking of the latest Ogden City sports complex project, the Downtown Hi-Tech Recreation Center. Although the publicly-reported numbers are still a little fuzzy, it has been reported that the co-partnership between Fat Cats and Gold's will be on the hook for between $60,000 and $80,000 per month.
Don't get me wrong. I'll go on record as saying that I'm in favor of proceeding with this project, now that it's reached the final planning stages, after years of public input and planning. The real tipping point for me was a series of conversations I've had with both of the lessee principals, David Rutter and Gary Nielsen. They've both assured me privately that they're eager to proceed with the project, that they believe the project to be economically viable, and that they expect to make serious money through their joint venture in the years ahead. I'm all for letting these two individuals proceed.
Is the Fat Cat's/Gold's business plan viable? Is it based on commercial reality? Will their optimistic business plan survive the harsh underwriting standards of the bond underwriter and the Wells Fargo Bank -- who wlll be ultimately "standing by" with its letter of credit? Will the downtown sports complex experience the same sort of public acceptance and success as have our Ogden Raptors?
We'll know the answers to these questions very soon, I'm sure. But I'm still slightly nervous now, I'll admit. Let's just say that I'm experiencing the same "gut sensation" that I get when I'm standing at the "craps" tables in Wendover with a pair of "bones" clutched in my fist.
Comments, anyone?
