New Arena for Sioux Falls

[sfsd]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

College basketball games are the reason to build a BASKETBALL facility.... With football though do you honestly think that SDSU would want to give up a home game or USD give up a home game? SDSU is planning on putting big time bucks into there stadium how are they going to be able to get donors when they plan on playing 1 of there home games or there late games in Sioux Falls? As far as basketball you are right they need a basketball facility in which the Stampede and an indoor team would play in (indoor football is liked through out the state I see a lot of storm merchandise throughout the state) The baseball stadium is great the Canaries are in a pretty crappy league but they run that stadium well, they have the State tournament there at times they have amateur games they have a couple of college games they have concerts they run that stadium to a profit and that stadium will get them an affiliated team (hopefully sooner rather then later) I don't know of any good example for building a football/basketball facility... I don't know of one good example of when they played basketball in a football stadium it just doesn't work because you have 2 big of a basketball facility and 2 small of a football facility its the facts.
Sioux Falls could have the Summit League tournament forever if they build a 14,000 seat basketball stadium but if they go much bigger then that it becomes hard to turn a profit....

1. SF will never get affiliated minor league baseball, simply because there is not a minor league close enough and MLB is cutting back on affiliates already. But I have played baseball at the Stadium, and it is a very nice facility for what it is, though it's nowhere near the quality of stadiums being built around the country to house affiliated teams (newer parks in Dayton OH, Midland MI and Akron OH come to mind -- look up pics of those facilities and compare them to SF Stadium, and you'll see what I mean).

2. No doubt, what you say about having a big facility to host basketball and football is the biggest building challenge this group faces, not to mention being able to incorporate hockey and still keep it all having an intimate enough feel for concert. Making it work could make this venue one-of-a-kind and a model for other cities.

3. Indoor football could work on this facility very easily, since the boards used are the same as hockey. You may need to add additional temporary seating in close to the field as well.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Article in today's Argus Leader. Indicates it would accomadate 18,000 for football. What's getting lost in all of this is a quality Basketball facility to replace the Arena. I have not seen or heard anything to address how a facility of this size and scope is going to make for a good Basketball venue?

http://argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll...712110316/1001

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I personally think it is a joke..... I am beginning to wonder if they want this to be shot down..... They could build a nice 12,000 seat basketball facility for half the price that would fit there needs perfectly but instead they want an 18,000 seat football facility for what high school football and MAYBE 1 college game a year.... Do you think the Skyforce are going to want to play there? I don't know how you would put an ice ring under it? I just think its a joke....

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I don't know how you would put an ice ring under it?

Just an FYI, and I don't care what they end up doing, alot of NBA basketball arenas have ice rinks under the floor of the basketball arena. The Bradley Center in Milwaukee being one of them. They cover the ice with barriers and install the basketball floor over the top. It's pretty interesting to see done, actually. That's why you see occasional problems with NBA floors "sweating" down south when there is a hockey floor underneath. My little nugget of info, I guess.

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Just an FYI, and I don't care what they end up doing, alot of NBA basketball arenas have ice rinks under the floor of the basketball arena. The Bradley Center in Milwaukee being one of them. They cover the ice with barriers and install the basketball floor over the top. It's pretty interesting to see done, actually. That's why you see occasional problems with NBA floors "sweating" down south when there is a hockey floor underneath. My little nugget of info, I guess.

Yes I understand that but they are going to be playing football and basketball (Joke in my opinion) so they would have to move seating some how or another and I was wondering how it would work in general how they would get it all to work out... I also don't know how you could make a dome (because that is what it is) fan friendly for basketball, hockey and Indoor football which would be the sports that are played in Sioux falls....

Build something like the Wells Fargo Arena if they are going to build something....

[West-River_Jack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

The Argus Leader is reporting that Kelby Krabbenhoft has stepped down from his leadership position in the group promoting this project.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...NEWS/801250316

"Krabbenhoft said Thursday that his responsibilities at Sanford have intensified since the beginning of the year, and he asked Dykhouse to take over as chairman of the group."



Krabbenhoft appears to be crediting Stu Whitney with making the project more difficult to bring to completion.



'The negative feedback about private money and naming rights was fueled by a Jan. 6 column by Argus Leader sports editor Stu Whitney, Krabbenhoft said.

In the column, Whitney wrote that the city needs a new events center, "and that we should be able to pay for it." But he questioned whether an indoor football field revolving around high school play was what the city needed.

The column and the resulting feedback in the community, Krabbenhoft said, could make it difficult to attract private funds.'



Click the above link to read the entire article.

[BTownJack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

More news on the new arena from our good friend Stu Whitney. I'd say he's being more than bold on some of his statements and makes it sound like it's a bad thing people like T. Denny Sanford is willing to give a lot of money towards a new arena in Sioux Falls. The words below come from Stu's blog:

1. The Sioux Falls Sports Authority continues to shock and amaze the local athletic scene, this time by holding a press conference last Monday to announce that the Arena will host (drum roll please) the Northern Sun basketball Holiday HoopsFest!
Of course, this was first announced in July 2007, and it wasn't that big of a deal back then.

Just another in a long line of bogus press confefrences in this town, and hopefully not the best indication of how the Sports Authority is spending its time.

I'm still wondering who gave the Sioux Falls Sports Authority its authority, and what the group actually does. All that's clear right now is that several Sanford Health employees are prominent in the process, which reeks of a conflict of interest.

The Sports Authority delivered the Summit League basketball tournament to Sioux Falls, mainly because Sanford, First Premier and other corporate sponsors threw a bunch of money at the thing. But SDSU's athletic department did much of the planning and pitch work, and it was the Jackrabbits who were already friendly with Summit commissioner Tom Douple.

Maybe if there's going to be an entity representing the city on matters of this magnitude, its members should be appointed by elected officials, rather than just rallying the private interests and assembling the good old boys yet again.

2. This next item will feature subliminal messages...
Speaking of athletic facility issues, a reliable source tells me that the anonymous donor (Denny Sanford) who was offering up $50 million for the Coliseum Group's events center plan (indoor high school football) has now pulled that offer from the table.

That's the best news I' ve heard in a long time.

It underscores exactly what I was talking about when warning of corporate interests running the show on this events center issue. Ulterior motives abound, and this proves it. As soon as the Coliseum group, spearheaded by Dana Dykhouse and Kelby Krabbenhoft, didn't get what it wanted, its leaders persuaded their anonymous donor (Denny Sanford) to take his ball and go home, as if to punish the citizens of this city for exploring thier options and not blindly following the credit card money.

Denny Sanford also pulled out of the University of Minnesota football stadium project when the school made it clear that they would be establishing the parameters of the project.

I find it telling that the Coliseum Exploratory Group and their sugar daddy are acting petulant at a time when the city's new task force is actually trying to gauge the feelings of actual citizens about what sort of facility we need. If their childish reaction passes for leadership these days, then we're in more trouble than I thought.

(read more)

[propar80]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

More news on the new arena from our good friend Stu Whitney. I'd say he's being more than bold on some of his statements and makes it sound like it's a bad thing people like T. Denny Sanford is willing to give a lot of money towards a new arena in Sioux Falls. The words below come from Stu's blog:

This makes me kind of sad to say the least, when talking about fact that T. Denny has pulled the funding for the Collisem project, Stu decides that blogging this news is the right way to go, considering he has a "good source".
If Stu would pull his head out for one second and stop making up news and start reporting news maybe I'd take this blog entry a little more seriously. But time after time Stu likes to throw "news" out there just to get a bite and I'm not going to bite anymore.
I've gotten to the point with a lot of newspaper and media outlets around the country, that I just can't trust what is reported anymore because the "rules" seem like they've gotten blurred...especially in the sports world.
I once had a journalism professor where I graduate from (not you JimmyJack) tell me that he figured 85% of the American publice believes what media outlets tell them without question. IMHO, guys like Stu need to realize that and be a bit more responsible.
I wonder if Stu realizes what kind of powerful platform he has available to him there at 12th and Minnesota.

I've got a "good source" that tells me that the $$ isn't off the table for the collisiem project, but maybe, just maybe T. Denny reads his blog entry and all of a sudden, Stu's source is correct. Then I hope Stu is happy that, "he did his job" and "reported the news". Actually if this was to happen, he didn't "report the news" he made the news happen.

Thanks Stu, from all of SF. I guess we'll have our new events center by the time my kid's kids are reading the tabloid blog section under your name and face in the Argus Leader. Which by the way is a long way away considering I don't have children.

I'm pleading with Stu...please the next time Dana Dykhouse is doing his presentation of the proposed Collesiem project to one of the groups in SF...please attend...please. The Collesiem project has very little to do with sports and concerts when it comes to creating one more "revenue stream" for SF and SD. It has everything to do with LARGE shows such as farm shows and other huge shows that want to come to SF every year and doesn't because why? Because SF doesn't have a facility to handle one. So they go from Minneapolis, to Fargo on down to Omaha. Makes perfect sense to me.

What would you rather have Stu...A Tyson Events center that loses $2million a year or a FargoDome that has paid for itself with very little public help and is now is a revenue stream for Fargo? And this Revenue stream has NOTHING to do with NDSU being a tennant 6 times a year like you like to argue, and everything to do with HUGE events and shows that it hosts.

So to end my rant here, which I swore I wasn't going to get involved with...Report the facts Stu, please, you're in way too of an influential position in SD not to give the people of SD that respect.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Rep points to Propar.

I will go to one specific problem with Stu's blog. He states that having Sanford employees working on the sports authority as a conflict of interest but does not indicate why. Does Sanford have an interest in continued economic growth of Sioux Falls? Yes. Is that enough of a conflict of interest so that any Sanford employee should not be involved? I don't think so because that standard would eliminate every citizen of Sioux Falls from being involved. Is Mr. Whitney stating that the SFSA is going to funnel money/opportunities to Sanford that could go to Avera? I guess that is possible in maybe naming rights, or other sponsorships, at a reduced cost. I suppose that is possible, but has anyone heard from anyone involved with Avera or any other entity that their offers to help were rejected? I haven't. I think that Mr. Whitney has confused "concurrent interests" with "conflict of interests." The fact that someone has "concurrent interest" that is disclosed does not necessarily mean they have a "conflict of interest" and the negative implication of that term.

If the Argus wants the public to view the information on their web site as a valid source of information, it needs to put the same standards for its content on the web as in the physical medium. I do not think that the Argus would have let Mr. Whitney make such a statement without some measure of explanation (which I do believe could easily be stated) to support the charge. Opinion columns are one thing, but Mr. Whitney stated, "All that's clear right now is that several Sanford Health employees are prominent in the process, which reeks of a conflict of interest." Mr. Whitney has unlimited space (according to another Argus writer) on the blog to add information that would not make into print. This is the place that Mr. Whitney should explain what he thinks reeks and why.

[BTownJack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Looks like the new events center in Sioux Falls is making news again:

Howard Wood move weighed
School board eyes Sports Authority land as new site for athletic complex

Steve Young • December 4, 2008
Sioux Falls School Board members say they are willing to discuss relocating Howard Wood Field, the city's main athletic complex, to make room for a possible events center.

Board members face a March 9 deadline to decide whether to update the stadium but indicated Wednesday that date is flexible.

A proposal to build a new events center put the stadium's future in question last year. One option being studied would place the new events center near the Sioux Falls Arena and would include demolishing Howard Wood Field to make room for parking. The school board voted in March to delay $5 million in repairs at Howard Wood one year to give a committee appointed by Mayor Dave Munson time to discuss the possibilities for a new events center.

At a work session Wednesday, board members said they were interested in hearing from the Sioux Falls Sports Authority about possibly relocating the stadium to land just northwest of the airport that was donated to the authority by Sanford Health.

(read more)

[tjbison]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

This makes me kind of sad to say the least, when talking about fact that T. Denny has pulled the funding for the Collisem project, Stu decides that blogging this news is the right way to go, considering he has a "good source".
If Stu would pull his head out for one second and stop making up news and start reporting news maybe I'd take this blog entry a little more seriously. But time after time Stu likes to throw "news" out there just to get a bite and I'm not going to bite anymore.
I've gotten to the point with a lot of newspaper and media outlets around the country, that I just can't trust what is reported anymore because the "rules" seem like they've gotten blurred...especially in the sports world.
I once had a journalism professor where I graduate from (not you JimmyJack) tell me that he figured 85% of the American publice believes what media outlets tell them without question. IMHO, guys like Stu need to realize that and be a bit more responsible.
I wonder if Stu realizes what kind of powerful platform he has available to him there at 12th and Minnesota.

I've got a "good source" that tells me that the $$ isn't off the table for the collisiem project, but maybe, just maybe T. Denny reads his blog entry and all of a sudden, Stu's source is correct. Then I hope Stu is happy that, "he did his job" and "reported the news". Actually if this was to happen, he didn't "report the news" he made the news happen.

Thanks Stu, from all of SF. I guess we'll have our new events center by the time my kid's kids are reading the tabloid blog section under your name and face in the Argus Leader. Which by the way is a long way away considering I don't have children.

I'm pleading with Stu...please the next time Dana Dykhouse is doing his presentation of the proposed Collesiem project to one of the groups in SF...please attend...please. The Collesiem project has very little to do with sports and concerts when it comes to creating one more "revenue stream" for SF and SD. It has everything to do with LARGE shows such as farm shows and other huge shows that want to come to SF every year and doesn't because why? Because SF doesn't have a facility to handle one. So they go from Minneapolis, to Fargo on down to Omaha. Makes perfect sense to me.

What would you rather have Stu...A Tyson Events center that loses $2million a year or a FargoDome that has paid for itself with very little public help and is now is a revenue stream for Fargo? And this Revenue stream has NOTHING to do with NDSU being a tennant 6 times a year like you like to argue, and everything to do with HUGE events and shows that it hosts.

So to end my rant here, which I swore I wasn't going to get involved with...Report the facts Stu, please, you're in way too of an influential position in SD not to give the people of SD that respect.

Ummm this is wrong, the FD was built and paid for with Taxpayers dollars! Its building and maintenance was/is fully funded with tax dollars, of those dollars there is still a percentage that is in a fund, which will help pay for half of the New BBall arena being built on it!

It is not cheap to build and maintain a building of that size, the dome has sat Silent MANY times, with the help of Millions in additions for conference rooms, Theater set-up, etc. its just now starting to host numerous events. I would say they need to study what type and size arenas is feasable for SF, comparing it to Fargo is the wrong thing to do as NDSU is the only real reason that Building stands there!

[propar80]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Ummm this is wrong, the FD was built and paid for with Taxpayers dollars! Its building and maintenance was/is fully funded with tax dollars, of those dollars there is still a percentage that is in a fund, which will help pay for half of the New BBall arena being built on it!

It is not cheap to build and maintain a building of that size, the dome has sat Silent MANY times, with the help of Millions in additions for conference rooms, Theater set-up, etc. its just now starting to host numerous events. I would say they need to study what type and size arenas is feasable for SF, comparing it to Fargo is the wrong thing to do as NDSU is the only real reason that Building stands there!

I realize it was paid for by taxpayer dollars in the form of bonds. But unlike the Tyson Events center in Sioux City, I don't believe the FargoDome is bleeding the City of Fargo $$ year after year.
Wasn't there and article in the Fargo Forum recently that mentioned that the last bond payment was made and other than $$ for upkeep, is a revenue stream for the city of Fargo now?

Your trying to tell me that the city of Fargo built and paid for the FargoDome for 6 NDSU football games per year?? I find that hard to believe.
The fact that the FargoDome is a Multi-purpose facility in the state's largest city...that hold concerts, farm/ag shows and other large exhibits that brings people from outside Fargo(tax $$$'s) is the reason it has paid the bond off in such a short amount of time...and of course tax dollars.

Maybe I'm wrong, but to build something mainly for NDSU and it's 6 football games per year, I doubt was the driving force. But if you say so, I guess I'll take your word for it.

Honestly at this point, the people who want the cheapest venue possible are going to win this debate. I go to all my sporting entertainment up in Brookings, so I could give two S#$Ts less weather SF decides to pull it's head out of 1950 and build any kind of events center. If Sioux Falls wants to follow the lead of the Sioux City and build something like the Tyson Events center, go right ahead...I just hope it's a good place to watch the Summit League Championships!
But doesn't common-sense tell you that copying anything that Sioux City has ever done, may not be the best idea?

[tjbison]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I realize it was paid for by taxpayer dollars in the form of bonds. But unlike the Tyson Events center in Sioux City, I don't believe the FargoDome is bleeding the City of Fargo $$ year after year.
Wasn't there and article in the Fargo Forum recently that mentioned that the last bond payment was made and other than $$ for upkeep, is a revenue stream for the city of Fargo now?

Your trying to tell me that the city of Fargo built and paid for the FargoDome for 6 NDSU football games per year?? I find that hard to believe.
The fact that the FargoDome is a Multi-purpose facility in the state's largest city...that hold concerts, farm/ag shows and other large exhibits that brings people from outside Fargo(tax $$$'s) is the reason it has paid the bond off in such a short amount of time...and of course tax dollars.

Maybe I'm wrong, but to build something mainly for NDSU and it's 6 football games per year, I doubt was the driving force. But if you say so, I guess I'll take your word for it.

Honestly at this point, the people who want the cheapest venue possible are going to win this debate. I go to all my sporting entertainment up in Brookings, so I could give two S#$Ts less weather SF decides to pull it's head out of 1950 and build any kind of events center. If Sioux Falls wants to follow the lead of the Sioux City and build something like the Tyson Events center, go right ahead...I just hope it's a good place to watch the Summit League Championships!
But doesn't common-sense tell you that copying anything that Sioux City has ever done, may not be the best idea?

Yes the Fargodome is making money buts nowhere near Millions a year, i think last year was around 200K ( and yes NDSU football games helped alot!) profit and before that just in the 50-100k range, but total economic impact with the people it brings in then yes millions is correct! This year should be another good year for the dome with NDSU football, numerous Big concerts. If NDSU was not in Fargo there would NOT have been a 19000 seat arena built Period!, maybe a smaller one in the 10k range, but without NDSU football there was no need for that capacity seating. SF does not need to spend the money for a 18000 seat arena when something simmilar to the Alerus Center in Grand Forks would be a much better fit 12k for seating and still has the floor space for concerts, trade shows etc. FYI the Alerus center has NEVER turned a profit and they host UND football, trade shows, concerts, high school events etc also! just something to think about.

[JimmyJack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I was a reporter at The Forum when the FD was built. Seems to me that a 1/2 cent sales tax paid for the FargoDome. Isn't that the case? When people say bonds "paid" for the FD, that's not right. Bonds may build things, but somebody pays off the bonds. I think it was a 1/2 cent sales tax that has done that.

That said, I think Howard Wood is a crummy joke of a dump and ought to be immediately imploded and replaced with something fitting for a metro area of more than 200,000 people. I guess I don't understand why Sanford is getting all kinds of crap for wanting to give $50 million for the thing. I think for $50 million he ought to have his name on it in 50' high letters. Even if it's also branding, it's still philanthropy, and seems to me it would fill a need.

Hey Denny, if Sioux Falls doesn't want your money, we have a really good football team in need of a $50 million Sanford Stadium right up the road in Brookings.

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I was a reporter at The Forum when the FD was built. Seems to me that a 1/2 cent sales tax paid for the FargoDome. Isn't that the case? When people say bonds "paid" for the FD, that's not right. Bonds may build things, but somebody pays off the bonds. I think it was a 1/2 cent sales tax that has done that.

That said, I think Howard Wood is a crummy joke of a dump and ought to be immediately imploded and replaced with something fitting for a metro area of more than 200,000 people. I guess I don't understand why Sanford is getting all kinds of crap for wanting to give $50 million for the thing. I think for $50 million he ought to have his name on it in 50' high letters. Even if it's also branding, it's still philanthropy, and seems to me it would fill a need.

Hey Denny, if Sioux Falls doesn't want your money, we have a really good football team in need of a $50 million Sanford Stadium right up the road in Brookings.

What good does a dome do in Sioux Falls though? I say build a 12,000 basketball arena as part of the existing complex..... Build a football stadium and track that is the right size on the edge of town.